The Nighthowlers: March of the Dammed
by Blacknight655
Summary: War. A force of destruction and in some ways construction. It molds all those exposed to changing them permanently to create people who sometimes their own families dont recognise. But for one fox this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
1. Prologue

**Good evening all. I'm back...** **again**

 **So some of you are probably wondering where the story went and well I was forced to take the story down to a creative disagreement. I dont really want to get into the specifics of it but the original creator of Max requested I take the story down and remove him. So I have spent the past few days doing just that as well as taking the opportunity to rework certain areas I wasn't happy with in hindsight.**

 **Anyway the 16th is back I will re-upload all previous chapters as quickly as possible to get everyone caught up again.**

 **Follow, comment and review as you wish. Enjoy**

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The Nighthowlers: March of the Dammed

Prologue:

2006, 10 years before the hight howler scare tensions between the prey supremacist North Korean government and the west reach boiling point. An ultimatum from the US, Britain, France and other western powers forces China to either support its eastern neighbour or watch its influence in the far east decline. China chooses North Korea and begins deploying troops to the Korean Peninsula. The west begin to mobilise in response as Russia watches from the sidelines waiting to see who will be stronger.

The far east is a powder keg waiting for the slightest spark. When a North Korean missile test flies of course and lands inside South Korea the region explodes. Over night countries across the world are forced to chose between the Chinese dragon and the American eagle. Ultra nationalists and prey supremacist groups in Russia demand the Russian government support the Chinese. The Russian government delays.

After 2 years of further delays A coup replaces the government and promptly sides with the Chinese.

2009, 3 years after the Russian coup and the fighting has ground to a stalemate, North Korea has been annexed but the west can advance no further than the Yalu river, the new Russian government has collapsed to a combined offensive from eastern European countries and Russians still loyal to the old government. China has made progress gathering the support of African nations but cannot offer any physical support while South American countries continue to fight amongst them selves.

The large numbers of forces involved resulted in the formation of Penal Battalions by both sides. Formed from civil and military prisoners they, in the west, are officially only used for support purposes. In reality they are used for the most dangerous combat tasks. Most battalions last less than a year and the life expectancy for a new soldier is just 2 weeks. The high casualty rates forces governments to enlist the use of criminals convicted of minor offensives such as shop lifting. The battalions gain a reputation of little more than death sentences.

One of these Battalions, The 16th assault engineer battalion, is currently stationed just outside the Russian city of Archangel tasked with removing the last remnants of opposition there. Their ability to achieve their objectives even with high casualty rates has led to their nickname of the Nighthowlers.


	2. Chapter 1: Fresh meat

Chapter 1: Fresh meat

The sounds of artillery fire rolled across the stricken city deafening the fox. Toxic black smoke blocked out the midday sun and choked out the oxygen from the air. The heat from the fire was intense but as Nicks fur was singed he continued to fight, desperately trying to stop the Blood. Life literally slipping through his fingers.

How had it come to this?

5 months earlier

The truck rumbled down the mud track. The occupants in the back didn't know where they were all they knew is it was really, really cold. Among them was a red fox, Nicholas Piberuis Wilde. Nick sat there on the wooden bench occasionally bouncing up as the truck hit a pot hole. The feeling of being jammed into the back of a truck against a polar bear was giving him some serious deja vu. The tarpaulin covering the back of the truck old and moth bitten, snow coming in through the holes that were present. There was an unmistakable smell coming from the rotten timbers that made up the bed of the vehicle. Living on the streets for so long Nick had learnt what the death smelt like early on in his life.

His uncomfortable surroundings were of little interest to him however. The thoughts rattling around in his head were all he could focus on. Penal battalions were supposed to be where you put the worst of the worst. All the murders, rapists and psychopaths put together so they could be put to use for the benefit of society. A place where they couldn't hurt anyone other than each other.

So why the hell was he here?

Ok so he may not have been an angel. Exploiting mammals trust for their money wasn't the most noble of life choices but did that really justify sending him here? His cons wouldn't have gone him more than a warning from the police. He'd bent the law but never out right broken it…to the best of his knowledge anyway. _'Maybe I slipped up somewhere? Forgot to read the fine print?'_ It wasn't an unreasonable answer to his question. Lawyers and those who wrote the law seemed to have a really big thesaurus and a satanic spell book, the combination made it almost impossible for a normal mammal to understand any of it. Maybe that was the point.

Maybe he'd conned the wrong mammal? Some mammals really didn't take well to being tricked out of their money, even small amounts, But who could have the power or connections to land a low level confidence trickster in a penal battalion. He saw so many mammals from day to day, there was no way he could remember who might be responsible. 'You should _start getting to know these mammals'_ his angry, if nervous, internal monologue commanded.

His thoughts were interrupted as the truck came to a sudden jarring stop. The other mammals in the back of the truck seemed to have a similar experience as they were jolted back to reality from what ever was going on in their heads. All eyes were fixed on the back of the truck as a series of voices could be heard from outside though the still running engine drowned out exactly what they were saying. The canvas cover was suddenly thrown back and, although the weather was bad, it was still bright enough to blind the red fox.

"OUT!" the order filled with authority and disgust rang out.

The Nick jumped from the truck, but in his hurry to obey the order he failed to notice the sheet of ice. Landing on said sheet Nick's feet went under him which resulted in him landing face first in the mud. " _This is a new low"_ he thought slowly raising himself to his knees eyes still closed. It wouldn't have made any difference even if his eyes were open as they where covered in mud and icy water.

"Private Wilde?". A gravelly voice in a British accent asked. Nick wiped the mud away from his eyes to find the source of the voice.

A very large wolf stood above him. His eyes were a fiery gold and his fur coat, despite being covered in mud, was superbly fluffy. His face and arms were a snowy white while his back, legs and head where a rusty brown. His torso and thighs where protected by steel armour and a burn scar could just be seen appearing from under the armour, running up the left side of his neck and stopping on the bottom left side of his muzzle.

"Numb nuts! You Nicholas P Wilde?" The wolf repeated sounding, and looking annoyed that Nick hadn't answered him yet.

"Y-Yes sir" Nick scrambled to his feet being cautious so as not to fall pray to the ice a second time.

As Nick went to salute though the wolf stopped him "Its John, Jonathan Blackwell or 'scars' as some know me. But if you insist on calling me by rank its sergeant not sir, I work for a living". The last remark was made with a small smile.

John may have sounded friendly but Nick knew better than to let his guard down. He was in this battalion for a reason and, judging by the look of him, it wasn't for some minor offence. "Yes Sergeant, do you know who I'm supposed to report too?"

John removed a carton of cigarettes from his pocket and removed one. He then offered the pack to Nick who refused. After Lighting it he finally spoke again. "Your looking at him, your part of my team from now on. What you think I just happened to know your name?"

Nick mentally slapped himself. "Good point" he grumbled

"Come on you best meet the others I'm sure their itching to meet the new medic. Actually their probably just itching" John laughed out. Nick stayed still for a brief moment staring at the back of the sergeants head trying to discern whether or not this wolf was just taking him somewhere quiet for his own personal reasons. John seemed to notice the space around him being fox free. "That was your queue to follow me dunce" the rather colourful prompt made Nicks mind up for him. He quickly made to follow the wolf.

The pair made their way through the make-sift roadside camp. The weather was uncomfortable with sleet and snow coming down in a light shower landing in the knee high watery mud. Nick stuffed his paws into his pockets in an attempt to warm them. The low temperature together with the icy wind and the fact that now his upper half was covered in water and mud were beginning to make Nick wish he'd let Mr Big ice him for the rug. ' _wait, Mr Big. He has the connections to do this'._ Nicks inner monologue was right Big had the opportunity and a motive but something just didn't add up. Mr Big may have been a mob boss, but the mob had strict rules of honour. At least the old guard did. As long as you kept up your end of the bargain they would do the same. In Nick's case it was to stay away from Big's territory which he had done and as such he should have no problems…should have.

In an attempt to distract himself from the cold, his inner thoughts and the drawn out silence, Nick spoke "Soooooo what exactly do we do?"

John looked at the fox walking beside him with slight surprise "They don't even tell you new guys the basics any-more?"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck "not really".

Looking forward the wolf sighed "fuck me. Ok were the 16th assault engineer battalion, 73rd Infantry regiment, 30th division. Most people just call us Nighthowlers, less of a mouth full but don't ask me were the name comes from. Our job is to clear mine fields, destroy obstacles and clear bunkers and other buildings. We also get the task of building bridges and other structures". John looked at Nick with a raised eyebrow "I would hope you at-least know what your job in all this is?"

Nick just silently nodded. He'd been given basic first aid and a crash course in battlefield medicine but that was about it. His weapon training was none existent, being a medic he wasn't supposed to need a gun, and throughout the whole process precious little information about the unit was spoken. Where they would be going, what they were doing even who they were supposed to go to when they got there. All that information wasn't shared with them. The explanation from John hadn't really enlightened Nick any-more than he already was. Though the 'clearing bunkers' part made him pause. "I thought we were support troops?"

John stopped and turned to Nick. "Do you really think we'd need medics if we were just support troops?"

"I guess not" Nick mumbled

The pair continued through the camp. Looking around Nick noticed the diversity of the mammals present. Everything from a rhino down to a weasel, from an elephant to a fox and even a….Bunny? ' _What could bunnies do in the army?'_ the voice in his head that spoke those words said them with no hint of malice just curiosity. The mammals around them were busying them selves with a variety of jobs. Some were preparing their evening meals, others servicing their weapons and reloading magazines while the rest just chatted. What astonished Nick though was that in all this there appeared no spiciest problems. Even the foxes were able to mingle with the other mammals and no one looked uncomfortable. Sure the mammals in question were sticking to groups, probably their squads, but none of them passed glances at anyone else. Not a single pair of daggers were being glared at anyone. It was baffling to the vulpine.

"JOHNNY!" a friendly, jovial if tired voice yelled out.

Nick stopped observing the other groups and looked forward to see a snow leopardess, vixen and a koala. The Koalas fur was a strange mix of white at his feet transitioning into grey the further up his body you went but what really made him stand out was the tuft of dirty red fur atop his head. He was rapt up in his thick winter gear including gloves and a balaclava hiding a pair of larger than average ears. He had a pair of smooth brown eyes and an Australia accent.

"I told you not to call me that Ollie" John replied to the small mammal, the irritation evident in his voice.

Ollie was about to respond but noticed Nick "Who's foxy?" A mischievous grin rapidly spreading across his muzzle.

"Big ears is corporal Oliver Smith he's second in command and our scout. And yes I know his ears belong on a rabbit" The koala rolled his eyes and grumbled something unintelligible before John motioned to the Snow leopard. She was shorter than John but had a heavier build and was wearing armour similar to the wolf except she used shoulder pads instead of thigh plates which were placed over her knee length trench coat, combined with a Russian ushanka. A scar ran diagonally across her face but her most distinguishing feature was her beautiful fur coat. "Strong and silent is private first class Sasha Kuznetsova, demolitions expert" The leopardess just gave a slight nod in acknowledgement before returning to her food. He then turned to the final member currently curled up under a dirty blanket with just her head protruding from underneath. She was a golden furred vixen with not a mark on her face though a jagged scar ran from the base of one of her ears diagonally across the back of her head stopping at the top of her neck. Nick couldn't really tell much more given that she was under a blanket but he judged she was a little shorter than he was and appeared to be a medium build. "and sleeping beauty is private Jasmine Chevallier, sniper. Say hi Nick"

As the fox and wolf sat Ollie spoke up "So Nick was it? Where you from?" his voice held the tired but friendly tone from earlier.

"Zootopia, tundra town originally, how about you?" came Nicks reply. He could do with some form of conversation given that the mammals on the way over hadn't been the most vocal.

"Albany Australia" the smile never left Max's face but Nick could tell it was staged though the warmth from his eyes was clear. Nick put the fake smile down to exhaustion…for now anyway. "what about you John?"

The wolf looked up from tying his boot lace ' _wait…boots? Who wares boots?'_ "Chester in the UK hence the accent" He then noticed Nicks confused look directed at his boots "I'm missing my right leg from just above the knee and my prosthetic is made from steel. So to prevent me from clanking everywhere I go I ware boots" John then rolled up his trouser leg revealing a modified metal leg. The basic leg was the same as a normal prosthetic however it was then encased in a steel exoskeleton made to look like a real leg. "The casing makes it more durable for our line of work"

Nick caught himself staring at the fake leg, feeling the urge to touch the cool metal. To prevent himself from doing so he turned to the forth member who was being very quiet. "So what about you Sasha? Where are you from?"

"Siberia" came her sort reply, her thick Russian accent clearly evident. This caught Nick by surprise. How had a Siberian snow leopard ended up in a penal battalion fighting for the West?

"How did you end up here then" He asked genuinely confused.

Sasha finally looked up "I'll tell you later" She then turned back to her rations and mumbled "If you live long enough"

Nick just heard the last part of her sentence it making him slightly nervous. Though it did at-least explain her behaviour. "Don't mind Sasha she's usually like this. Unless you talk to her in her native tongue." John told Nick. A brief silence filled the air. It may have only lasted a minute but it was enough for smith to fall asleep a quiet snoring coming from the koala. The sound started to have an effect on Nick, feeling his eyes to become heavy.

"Just one thing we gotta do before bed Wilde" Johns gravelly voice waking the vulpine up if just slightly. "You need a nickname"

"Really?" Nick asked in slight annoyance. The journey over had been long, boring and full of the realisation he was in it up to his neck.

"Yes everyone gets one now give me your helmet" John motioning for the fox's helmet.

Nick handed it over although not really knowing why the wolf would want it "why do you need my helmet?" In response John passed his over. Written on the side in black ink was _"_ _Scars_ _"._ The vulpine then looked over at Ollie's and it read _"_ _ **Big Ears**_ _"_ drawing a small giggle from the fox. On the side of Sasha's it read " **BOOM!"** ' _nice and simple_ ' _._ Finally on Jasmine's was written " _jazz"_. John finish what he was doing and handed Nick his helmet back only this time the nickname "Red" adorned the side.

"Welcome to the Nighthowlers Red" He spoke with a warm smile. Nick looked at the helmet. For some strange reason that simple act made him feel at ease. Like after everything he may have found a pack. _'Getting ahead of our selves Wilde you've only known them for 5 minutes and who knows why their in a penal unit'_ thevoice in Nicks head scolded.

Whilst Nick sat there musing John and Sasha were carefully moving the unconscious members of the team into a circle with Ollie's head resting on Jasmine's stomach. Sasha then lay her head on Ollie's stomach and, after removing his breast plate John placed his head on Sasha's stomach. "Hey Red, you coming?" there was a gap between John and Jasmine and taking his queue from the way the others were arranged and placed himself into the gap. Carefully placing Jasmine's head on his abdomen. The sleeping vixen snuggled closer to the warm furry pillow making Nick blush. He hadn't even spoken to her yet and here he was letting her snuggle up to him dangerously close to his…male appendage. Realising that the alternative was to sleep alone in the cold Nick decided to put up with the potentially embarrassing situation. Laying his head back and onto Johns thick stomach fur under his jacket he began to let sleep over take him. The surprisingly soft fur of the wolf meant falling asleep would be easy. But before he finally feel asleep Nicks mind wandered back to home…and his mother. She didn't know the precarious situation he'd gotten himself into.

And if he could help it she never would.


	3. Chapter 2: First day on the job

Chapter 2: First day on the job

Sleep had been unsettled for Nick. Sleeping in a muddy hole in the ground didn't make for a comfortable bed and the fact his mind had also been filled with uncertain questions, Who had put him here? Would he go home? Would there be a home to go to?, didn't help. These questions and others like them lingered and taunted the fox in his attempts to sleep. At-least he hadn't been cold, the strange sleeping arrangement that he had taken to calling the wagon wheel kept everyone warm by sharing each others body heat.

"Rouge? Rouge!" A cheery voice cut like a knife through his unsettled sleepy mind. Nick just rolled over on to his other side in an attempt to stay in his comatose state. "Réveillez-vous" the voice again disturbed Nick. Cracking an eye open to see who the jackass was who'd woken him up.

A familiar Golden vixen sat staring at him with wide welcoming eyes. "come on Rouge get up!" she punctuated the last word with a gentle, but firm, kick to Nicks back side. Nick then realised that he was the only one still attempting to sleep. Even John had somehow managed to disappear with out Nick noticing. _"how the?"_ before he could continue with his thought Jazz spoke up again her French accent unmistakable. "Your lucky I got to you first. The others aren't as gentle"

Yawning Nick stood up rubbing the spot she had kicked. "That was Gentle?"

"For around here? Yes yes it is" she practically sang before walking off through the camp. The tod stood there for a few seconds, the blanket hadn't given Nick the opportunity to get a look at the vixen. He'd been right regarding her hight and build, but despite her build being heavier than the average vixen she was uniquely feminine. Bushy tail, wide hips and the gentle sway of those hips ' _Damn it Wilde stop ogling her, Creepy bastard!'_ That voice in his head was getting really irritating…in this case however he had to agree with it.

Running to catch up with Jazz he figured now was as good a time as ever to get properly acquainted… ' _Not like that!'_ the damn voice was back."Sorry but I don't think we've been introduced" He said with his trademark grin slapped on his face.

"And yet you already took me to bed, what kind of vixen do you think I am?" her flirtations gaze and tone had a immediate effect on the tod. The grin instantly evaporated and for the second time he found himself thankful for his red fur. But before he could reply Ollie's voice broke the awkward silence.

"Exactly the vixen we all know you are" Both fox's turned and saw the others. This time they were in their full combat kit. Sasha stood there in her body armour from last night but also had her webbing containing magazines and grenades over the top of it, her AK 47 and RPG 7 hung from her shoulders. John, like Sasha had his armour on, but had two machine gun belts running from his shoulders to his hips forming an X on his chest. A bayonet with an 18 inch blade and Webley mk6 revolver sat on his right hip. A mug of tea was in his paw a small amount of steam coming from it. Ollie was sat on a crate with a cigarette hanging from his mouth and had a PPSH 41 sat on his lap with several drum magazine attached to his belt along with a Colt 1911 pistol in its holster. A set of knee and elbow pads were present on his light frame. All this was on top of canteen and gas mask that all were issued with as well as what few personal items they could carry in their packs.

Jazz moved past Nick making a pouting face at the koala "So unfair". She picked up her own ammunition and then her sniper rifle. Nick was amazed that she could lift the thing let alone use it, It was as big as she was and yet she handled it like it was a tooth pick. After inspecting the rifle and being satisfied that all was still in order she slung the weapon over her shoulder and placed a camouflage cap on her head attaching her helmet to her belt.

Standing next to these four now made Nick feel truly like a fish out of water. Everything about them, the way they held themselves to the equipment they carried screamed professional. And here he was with his bog standard medical webbing, he didn't even have a weapon. _'How the hell am I gonna keep up with these four?'_

As the fox lamented on this an officer appeared from around the back of a pile of crates. "Sergeant Blackwell" a heavy Scottish accent came from the lion. The lion in question had sandy fur and a black stripe ran across his eyes. His mane was blood red and voice deep.

"Captain Riley" John responded with a lazy salute which the lion returned.

"I have a job for you and your team scars. The main bridge on the M8, over the Northern Dvina river has been damaged. I need you to get there and investigate how badly. Salvage what you can destroy what you cant and get it ready for the bridging company. Any questions?" The captain's brief was well…brief and to the point.

"Should we expect any company?" John questioned

"Intel says that all hostel elements have withdrawn to Archangel" the Captain answered.

"Soooooo yes then" Ollie threw in, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. Nick could guess that intelligence had a habit of messing up and who would be the one's that paid the price? Well it wouldn't be the one's in a air-conditioned office, drinking coffee and staring at a computer screen.

"Nothing you cant handle and your new recruit can get some first paw experience on what we do" The lion was looking at Nick, a disconcerting grin gracing his lips. The smile then vanished and he turned back to John. "Explosives are in the Jeeps you have your orders and 24 hours, dismissed" Without waiting for a response he walked passed the group and in the direction of a Jeep.

"24 hours? Your spoiling us now Bandit!" John called after him but received no response.

The Jeeps in question were similar to ZPD police cruisers except they had no roof. The rear of the vehicles were flattened to form a pick up truck and on the flat bed was mounted either a 50 calibre machine gun, grenade launcher or rocket launcher. The passenger seat had dual General purpose machine guns mounted on it and to the side of the driver was a mount for a additional machine gun. They also had modified engines granting a better top speed and acceleration. The camouflage paint scheme was another obvious difference.

After watching the Captain disappear around the parked vehicles, John turned back to the others with small grin. "Mount up, Jazz and Nick with me, Max and Sasha take the explosives" The koala and snow leopard mounted the rear most Jeep whilst John, after taking the last swig from his mug, Jazz and Nick mounted the other. As Nick climbed into the passenger seat a golden paw was presented to him from the flat bed. "By the way its Jasmine Chevallier, or Jazz if you prefer" the owner of the paw stated in a friendly tone.

Taking the paw Nick answered "Nicholas Wilde, or Red I guess" whilst gently shaking it. A small smile formed on Jazz's muzzle before she returned to readying the 50 calibre.

Sitting in the drivers seat John was about to start the engine but instead looked over at the two fox's with him. "Jaaaazzzz, who's turn is it with the music ?"

Jazz stopped what she was doing and ponded. Then a devious smile appeared on her face "It's my turn" Johns face went from hopeful to horror in an instant.

"Oh no, no, oh bugger me" he whined, accentuating ever word by thumping his head into the steering wheel. "I swear if you put Justin Beaver on repeat again I will pull your tail off and staple it between your ears" Nick could only laugh. The image of the large wolf driving a heavily armed Jeep whilst the song Kit by Justin Beaver blared out the radio was one of the most entertaining he'd had since the police had picked him up. "What you laughing at Red? Do you want her to do it again?" The pleading tone in his voice only made Nick laugh more.

Jazz all the while had been covering her mouth to prevent her own laugh escaping. John may have been open minded about most things, but not his taste in music and she knew just how to get a rise out of him. Finally getting control of her self she spoke "As much fun as that would be non. I have something new for you actually"

John eyed her suspiciously "what exactly?"

"She's, as you would say, new to the seen. She's called Gazelle" she simply responded with a lazy grin, she could tell he wasn't convinced. She hadn't had much success getting John to branch out in this area, he was a metal head through and through.

John eyed the vixen with steely eyes. She would always do this, tell him she had a new band, singer or song for him to listen too. And by the end of the journey he'd want to pull his ears off. "All right. Put it on, its not like I could stop you any way" he conceded finally turning to look forward again. The engine purred to life as Jazz plugged her damaged and barely functioning phone into the radio and the small convoy pulled out of the camp and on to the main road.

The early morning sun trickled through the pine forests that lined the road and danced of the snow and ice. The two Jeeps moved along the road passing soldiers and trucks moving to the front. Due to the damage to the bridge the convoys were forced to use a ford to get through, but ice on the surface of the water made this unreliable. Sometimes the crossing would freeze over completely.

Nick took the chance when there was a break in the tree's to bathe in the warm sun that was in stark contrast to the cold air that surround them. Jazz glanced at John, normally he'd have already lost the will to live by this point. But this time there wasn't any sign he disapproved. He may have not been dancing, or showing any signs of open enjoyment, but he wasn't threatening to shoot her phone either.

After half an hour they past through the allied gun line. The artillery crews ready, waiting for fire missions. "LEFT FIVE ZERO! DROP ONE HUNDRED! FIVE ROUNDS RAPID FIRE!" The battery commander suddenly bellowed out. There was a pause as the gun crews made their adjustments. "FIRE!" Before the commander had finished the whole battery erupted. Nick watched in fascination as the crews went about their task. It looked like a bizarre ball room dance, everyone knowing were to be and when to be there. And the speed at which they could reload and fire the guns was extraordinary in no time at all the five shells per gun were gone and silence fell again. "AGAIN!" the battery erupted once more.

The sound of the firing died down as the small convoy passed through and moved on to their objective. As it came into view the could all see why the bridge wasn't being used. The centre two spans appeared to be held up by hope alone. That said either ends of the bridge were in good condition and could be saved but John and Sasha went for a closer look to make sure they were as sturdy as they appeared leaving the others to their own devices. The bridge spanned a narrow point of the river with a hill situated on the northern end of the bridge while the southern end was relatively flat with a large pine forest stopping 100m before the river.

"Your lucky red" Ollie broke the silence.

Nick gave the Aussie an unimpressed look, he sure as hell didn't feel lucky, thousands of miles from home in a suicide unit, fighting for a cause that he personally cared little for. "Am I?"

Max seemed unfazed by Nicks response. "Sure, most people don't get milk runs for their first job" He did have a point. Most replacements were usually thrown in to battle as soon as they arrived with predictable results.

"I guess" the tod finally conceded. Ollie just nodded, he could tell that Nick wasn't convinced and to be fair you never did realise that you were until you'd experienced what this war was really like.

John and Sasha returned from their inspection. "Right, Sasha your part in this is clear get planting. Jazz and I will set up on the hill on the north end of the bridge. Big ears and Nick you set up on the south side." It made sense to place both the sniper and machine gunner of the team on the northern side of the river as that was the side were the enemy was supposed to be and where the high ground was.

Sasha grabbed the explosives from one of the Jeep whilst John and Jazz picked up their weapons and made their way to the northern side.

Ollie began to walk off, a slight waddle in his gait, before stopping and looked back at the tod "Get your kit red we gonna have a lot of time to our selves" The cheeky grin and waggle of the eye brows made Nick feel remarkably uncomfortable.

' _This is gonna be a long day'_ damn this voice.


	4. Chapter 3: Baptism of fire

Chapter 3: Baptism of fire

The night was cool and calm. Only the sound of running water and the occasional thump of ice against the bridge could be heard. A light breeze and cloudless, star filled night all combined to create the most beautiful night the city fox had seen.

There was just one fly in the otherwise pleasant ointment, his current company.

"So, you'd never fuck a bunny?" Nick couldn't really remember how he and Ollie had ended up talking about his sexual preferences. The day had been going as if off a training manual. Sasha had rigged the bridge in record and silent time, Jazz and John had been checking in via radio once an hour, mean while he and Max had been making small talk about…well anything. Where they were from, their civilian lives and the friends they'd left behind. Neither of their lists had been very long in regards to that last one. After finishing her task for the day Sasha had joined them and had been her usual quiet self.

Things had changed when Ollie had asked Nick why he was here now. The fox had agreed to tell him if he told Nick his reason in return. Ollie just went very quite for a second before quickly changing topic. Through a round about route they had then ended up on their current topic of would Nick, a fox, ever have sex with a bunny rabbit. "n-no of course not".

"You hesitated" The koala's grin was becoming really annoying at this point

"Well its not every day someone asks me if I'm a prey chaser" Nick defended. Inter-species relationships were a topic of…differing , sometimes violent, opinions and this was especially true when it came to pred-prey relationships. While such relationships were legal in most countries in the west there was no shortage of mammals who would voice, or demonstrate, their opinions when given the chance.

' _Bravo two Charlie, this is Bravo two actual, Status report, over'_ saved by the radio.

Ollie seemed a little annoyed at the interruption but answered as he must. 'Bravo two actual, this is Bravo two Charlie, all quiet on the southern end, over _'_

There was a crackled pause. ' _Bravo two Charlie, this is Bravo two actual, same story over here although we have a first row seat to the battle of Arkangle, over'._ From their position in the forest to the south of the river the fox, koala and leopardess could only see a faint glow on the top of the pine trees. Atop the hill Jazz and John could probably see Most of the city itself.

Nick was glad for the interruption… until Ollie spoke again. 'We're just making small talk over here. And it would seem that Red may be in to bunnies, over'. Nicks face dropped and for the first time in a long time he actually wanted to strangle someone.

'R _eally?'_ the crackled gravelly voice came over the radio once more. ' _Well guess we should have nick named him the bunny banger then. Or perhaps Bunny fucker'_ Nick let out a loud frustrated groan and slumped back into the shallow hole they had dug. 'C _alm down Red, I aint gonna tell you what you can a cant put your dick in'_ John all but laughed out.

Laughter filled the radio waves and Nick could just make out a faint feminine gigglelargely hidden behind the bullish laughter of the sergeant. Even Sasha was laughing although she was at-least trying to hide it. As his laughter died down the radio started again ' _anyway back to work, out'._ The line went dead, Nick just sat silent for a moment before finally turning to Max and with as much venom that the highly embarrassed fox could muster spat "Fuck you Ollie". The koala seemed troubled for a second by the tone the fox used, But quickly regained his composure "That's the spirit" he teased.

Nick continued to glare, until Ollie's head snapped in the direction of the trees. A noise from the dark void.

Meanwhile on the other side of the river.

John returned the mic of the radio to its holder before sitting back. In front of the wolf and vixen was the port city of Arkangle ablaze in the distance. The faint sound of machine gun and mortar fire travelled up the valley towards them. The unfolding battle was one sided. The defenders had no large, or even medium, calibre artillery, no means of resupply and no were to go. There was only one way this was going to end. The grand strategy was of little concern for John and the others however. All they cared for was surviving the ordeal.

John picked up his binoculars and scanned the road with the night vision setting. "What do you think of rouge?" the dulcet tone of his companion gained his attention.

He paused and thought for a second. "shows promise, he may be too soft for this work though." Despite being the youngest in the group John had been doing this longer than the others. He'd been there at the start of the war and as a result he'd become direct, to the point and had very little time for pussy footing around issues.

"You think he'll survive?". Peace. It was an elusive dream for most. Here in Russia it seemed that the war had mere months to run. But China was far from beaten.

"Truth be told, I don't expect to make it" John answered in a matter of fact voice as took another drag from his latest cigarette.

Jazz looked at him with a slightly uneasy expression. She had only been here for 6 months, a long time by penal standards but that didn't mean she was comfortable talking about a close friends death. "You wont if you keep smoking like that"

"And neither will your if you keep shagging everything in sight" he shot back with a smirk.

Jazz's uneasy expression morphed into a sultry smile "didn't hear you complaining before" resting her head on her paw. A small laugh escaped Johns lips as he turned back towards the city of arkangle.

Without turning back the wolf spoke again "And what do you think about the new guy?"

"He's cute" she answered in her usual flirtation manor.

"But?"

Jazz dropped the flirty manor she usually had and sighed "But I think your right". John gave a small nod knowing that unless Nick could prove him wrong, and prove him wrong quickly, the fox tod would go the same way as a lot of those in the battalion.

The two sat in silence, trying to warm themselves by the fire but a sudden shot from across the river had them whipping their heads around.

Silence fell again.

Back on the south bank

The sudden shot flew past Ollie's face making him instinctively hug the ground. Sasha grabbed her rifle as all eyes fell of the inky black trees.

All hell erupted as a barrage of tracer fire burst from the forest. Sasha and Ollie tried to answer the never ending torrent of bullets but to no avail.

Nick mean while was trying to make himself as small as possible huddling behind a rock. A wall of white hot metal flew passed some striking the rock, others passed mere inches from the Fox, close enough to cut his fur. His heart hammered away in his rib cage. His mind was a sea of petrified confusion, every instinct commanding he run.

Sasha seeing that shooting was doing nothing grabbed a box of grenades "OLLIE!". she passed two to the Corporal and took two for herself. Pulling the pins they threw the small bombs. A flurry of explosion followed and the firing lessened, but still continued. The leopardess and koala threw another volley of grenades. When the dust from the latest volley finally settled the three noticed the firing had stopped.

Nick prised himself off the bolder he'd been sheltering behind and peered into the gloom. It seemed even darker than before as he struggled to regain control of his racing heart and mind. So preoccupied with this was Wilde that he didn't notice his two companions placing the remaining grenades into the ground and pulling the pins to form improvised land mines.

"Red, we gotta go" Nick heard a faint voice telling him to move…but couldn't. It was as if his limbs had turned into a stone. The voice may have been distant but a low groan from the forest was as clear as day.

Seeing that calling his name wasn't getting him anywhere, Ollie decided to give the fox a gentle thump to see if that would work.

A sudden sharp pain in his shoulder got Nicks attention as Ollie's paw gave him a solid punch. "Nick, we gotta go!" The koala repeated in a hushed whisper. Nick snapped back to reality and scrambled to his feet before realising he didn't know where they were going.

"Head for the river. We'll need Jazz's rifle and 'scars' machine gun to deal with this" as Ollie outlined the plan, movement was heard coming from the forest again. The Corporal and grenadier made their way towards the river, hunched over to make their profiles as small as possible, Nick made to pick up the radio only to find it had been shot through. Several times.

Nick moved off after the others low and slow. After what felt like an eternity, in reality it couldn't have been more than a minute, a series of ear splitting explosions occurred over their shoulders. The second it happened all three ran as fast as possible for the river. For Nick however there was a problem.

Sasha and Ollie were experienced soldiers at the peak of physical condition, though the small marsupial had to run on all fours to get up some speed. Nick was a con-fox and he defiantly wasn't in peak physical condition, so before he new it he'd lost sight of the others. Nick just kept running towards the sound of running water as the occasional bullet flew passed him. He turned to looked over his shoulder, still running, to only see a few muzzle flashes.

As Nick turned to look forward again his vision suddenly filled with stars, an agonising pain over taking his muzzle. He didn't know how long he rolled before stopping but as his vision came back to him he saw he was no longer in the forest. "What kind of moron runs into a tree when a forest full of Russia's is trying to kill him" he groaned through gritted teeth his head throbbing. ' _You, that's the kind of moron that does that_ '.

"Not helping brain" The fox's grumbling was cut short however as something cold and metallic was pushed up against his skull. The tell tail click of the loading of a rifle filled his ears and he froze.

"Shit"


	5. Chapter 4: Terror in the night

Chapter 4: Terror in the night, redemption in the light

"Shit"

Time seemed to stop. All Nick could hear was the thumping of blood in his ears, the slight rustle of his fur by the wind. On his paws and knees Nick screwed his eyes shut as he began to shake. His paws where so tightly clenched that he split the skin on his knuckles. A million images passed through his mind, friends, family, Good and bad. Images of his mother and his estranged girlfriend all flashed before him. He wanted to say something, anything to the mammal who now held his life in his paws even if it was to just grovel and beg for mercy but all that came out was "mother".

The mammal behind him was in a similar state, shaking, wide eyed and panting. The muzzle of the rifle was shaking so much it scratched at Nicks skin under his fur. The seconds went on and on neither mammal moving nor speaking to the other. The mammal behind Nick was attempting to make up his mind, should he let the fox live or kill him.

After what felt like years the mammal behind the fox made up his mind. Taking a deep breath he steadied his rifle, pushing the muzzle firmly up against his prisoners head. "Please god, please god" Nick had never been religious but there no such thing as an atheist in a fox hole. He found it impossible to stop the tears that began to fall and drip off his muzzle. This affected his executioner who relaxed the pressure on his skull for a second.

His reprieve was short lived however as his resolve hardened, once again his finger squeezed on the trigger.

BANG!

Everything stopped. The wind, the throbbing in his head even his tears. ' _Is this what death feels like?'_. No pain, no fear, no nothing. Just calm. Nicks eyes and fists stayed firmly shut as the wind blew around him. He had no idea how long he stayed like that, hunched over on his paws and knees, head bowed in complete and unyielding silence.

"Nick?" A faint female voice, as if being shouted down a tunnel, cut through the silence.

' _Mom?'_ That couldn't be right Nicks mum was alive so why was she here, were ever here was. He wanted to open his eyes and see who or what was calling him. But he couldn't. It would mean the conformation that he was dead.

"Nick? Open your eyes" The voice was louder now but since when did his mum have a French accent? "Nick please open your eyes" the pleading tone of the voice finally spurred Nick's body to respond. He cracked open his eyes. Jazz was there, on her knees staring into his big green eyes. She placed a paw on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring gentle squeeze "Your OK Nick"

The fox realised the sun had began to appear over the tops of the trees, warming his soul and body formally frozen by terror. The gentle touch of the vixen in front of him was having the same effect as her thumb made small, slow circles on his shoulder.

John stood behind Jazz observing the scene. His face unreadable but his golden eyes displayed understanding if not sympathy. Prying his eyes away from the two in front of him, he slowly peered over his shoulder.

Behind him was an antelope, laid out on his back with a pool of frozen blood around the head. Nick stared at the his would be killer. He didn't appear old, 25 at most, with darker fur than a normal antelope. The back of his skull was splayed out with pieces of brain and bone mixing with the blood frozen solid on the snow and ice. The presence of a dead body didn't affect him that much as it wasn't the first time he'd seen one. Living on the streets you'd occasionally find a body in an alley, usually the victim of an overdose. What got to Nick the most was his eyes, they were a rich amethyst now glazed over and staring at the sky.

He looked normal, like any other mammal he'd met and hustled. Not the fire breathing savage most had been led to believe about their enemies. Yet he had been mere seconds away from killing him. Nick would, should be the one with the vacant expression and glazed over eye's. But someone had beaten him to it. It was the closest Nick had been to death. The thought sent an ice cold chill down the fox's spine all the way to the tip of his tail.

Jazz's paw found its way from his shoulder to the side of his muzzle and slowly pulled his head back round to face her. In a quite, soft voice she spoke "Nick your fine, just breath. Ok?" Nick nodded as he slowly began to regain his senses. His throat was dry and the throbbing in his muzzle was slowly returning.

"Jazz?" The gravely voice grabbed the vixen's attention. She wanted to keep her gaze locked on Nick, slowly calming him down. But she knew better than to ignore the sergeant when he was in soldier mode. She reluctantly turned around. "Get Nick back to the Jeeps, clean him up and make sure he aint gonna go section 8 on us" She gave a nod and a grateful smile. The battered wolf may have given the impression of being hard and unforgiving, truth be told he could when wanted, but Jazz knew that under the steely exterior was someone who cared.

Jazz helped Nick back to his feet and helped him stagger his way back to the Jeeps. John watched them leave then turned to Sasha. "Are the charges set?"

"Da" the leopardess responded

"Sergeant, bridging company is five clicks out."

John nodded at the small mammal. "Blow it" Sasha didn't need telling twice. She pushed the detonator and the two centre spans of the bridge exploded. The two spans lifted into the air, as if attempting to escape the inevitable plunge into the ice water below. A split second later they fell and the sound of snapping and straining metal radiated from the bridge. Concrete crumbled and the water swallowed the sections of the bridge.

When the water settled John picked up his machine gun and, followed by the others, headed back to the vehicles.

Nick mean while was sat in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle while Jazz cleaned his nose and muzzle of blood. _'That branch really did a number on us'_ Now Nicks senses had returned he was able to think clearly again however this also meant that the damn voice had come back as well. The pain in his muzzle was also back and good god did it hurt.

"Your lucky Nick" Jazz's voice remained soft and gentle, as if he were a piece of glass that would shatter if she raised it even slightly. "If John hadn't spotted you…well you be suffering from something worse than a sore nose."

That made Nick stop and think. "W-what happened?" Jazz stopped wiping his nose and sat back before recalling what had transpired on top of that hill.

5 hours earlier

The silence was unnerving. The vixen and wolf sat and stared at the glow from the opposite bank that betrayed the position of their squad mates. Then the shooting began. Muzzle flashes lit up the tree tops as the sound of battle filtered across the river. From where they were neither John nor Jazz could see the fire fight itself, the trees being to close together to allow them to make visual contact. John instantly picked up the radio "Bravo two Charlie, this is bravo two actual, come in over" Only static came in response. After a few seconds he tried again "Bravo two Charlie, this is bravo two actual, do you read?, over" again static.

Jazz hated times like this. She knew the others could handle them selves, well Sasha and Ollie could. But being forced sit and listen to them fighting for their lives and being unable to do anything to help protect them made her stomach do back flips. She felt utterly helpless.

A series of loud explosions cut through the air and blew pines off the trees. The shooting lessened then a second series of violent explosions occurred. The unnerving silence fell again. Jazz dared a look at John "Think their OK?" Before he could answer a third series of deafening explosions rocked the ground.

John raised his eye brows "Yeah their fine" He sounded so sure and confident in his assertion, but it did little to put the vixen at ease.

"How do you know?" she mumbled resting her head on her crossed paws.

"Because only Sasha would use that many grenades" He paused and looked through his binoculars "And because I can see them"

Jazz instantly grabbed her rifle and tried to locate them. But she couldn't find the gap in the trees John had. Then she saw the two experienced members of the the group appear through the trees and onto the river bank. "Your up Jazz" She didn't waste a second as she started shooting. As she dispatched her friends assailants she realised that the fox wasn't with them.

"Where's rouge?" She didn't have to wait long before her question was answered.

"Found him, 10 o'clock, on the tree line. And he's got a friend" Johns calm delivery of the line belied the seriousness of the situation Wilde was in. As the vixen brought the fox into her sight she saw an antelope stood behind him, rifle in hand. Nick was on all fours head bowed appearing to except his fate. She calmly placed the cross hair over the antelope's head. "Saucisse de merde" she muttered under her breath as she squeezed the trigger.

Present time

Nick had been staring at the vixen through out the story. He had known her for just over a day and already he owed his life to her. "Th-thanks" was all he was able to get out. ' _Really? This mammal saved your life and all you can say is thanks? didn't even bother with a full thank you'._ Fucking voice.

Jazz gave a kind smile before gently wiping the final little bits of dried blood from his snout.

"I assume our new friend is fine?" The sudden sound of the sergeants voice made the two turn around.

"Oui, he's just shaken up" John gave a small nod as the others mounted the Jeeps. They set off without another word, passing the bridging company as they made their way back to the battalion. The journey gave Nick plenty of time to reflect on how close he'd come to death, and how much he already owed to these strange mammals. He secretly hoped for a quiet couple of weeks to get his head back in the right place.

Unfortunately high command had other ideas.


	6. Chapter 5: Revelations

Chapter 5: Revaluations and questions

Left, right, left, right, left, right. This had been the rhythm of Nicks life for the past week. Wake up, eat breakfast and then place one foot in front of the other until the sun went down and you went to bed. Then do the same the next day. The constant thudding of hundreds of feet on the dirt road interrupted only occasionally by the clink of buckles and armour only added to the mind numbing boredom.

If Nick didn't have a mess of thoughts and emotions to sort through then the monotony of the days would have started to get to the fox a lot sooner. Since the event at the bridge Nicks mind had been like the north Atlantic in December. Turbulent, confused and ever changing. It had been noticed by the others that he had become irritable and had been spending most of his time by himself. Then the next day he would be quiet and could just start shaking. The ship ride over had been characterised by a lot of time brooding alone, angry outbursts at whomever approached him and episodes of hyperventilation.

But once in Kenya things had gotten worse. He spent his time getting drunk rather than doing any of the duties given to him. While this had stopped his mood swings his medical superior, 1st Lieutenant Frederick Van Den Burg, eventually stopped giving him anything to do and as a result his drinking had gone from bad to out of control. He'd become an annoyance to most, the centre of hatred for everyone else and this had not gone unnoticed by John who simply told Nick that tragic accidents tended to befall those who became burdens.

At the time Nick had dismissed the advice due to the fact that he was still, to use the technical term, shit faced. This had changed however once their advance began as the booze supply was cut off. Leaving Liboi before the sun had risen meant the fox had to recover from his latest drinking episode whilst marching for 16 hours straight but It turns out there was an up side to being hungover and marching, the pain in his head did a great job at masking the pain in his feet.

The march itself wasn't that as bad as most had feared. Most had pictured marching through a waterless desert but to their surprise it turned that southern somalia was actually grass land. While the grass did mean that sleeping was somewhat comfortable but the lack of shade made the days brutally hot.

Now he was sober for the first time in a month he could actually think again. The images from that night had come back and haunted him in his sleep. The glazed over eyes, the blood, it all seemed so real. Some nights he could have sworn he felt a cold metallic scratch against the back of his head. During the day he walked in complete silence and on his own. John's warning fresh in his mind and he had no doubt that he'd probably made alot of people angry with his drink fuelled episodes. Van Den Burg was still not giving him any duties to perform and Jazz still wasn't speaking to him. Nick couldn't really blame her, She'd risked the lives of herself and her friends to save him and what had he done? Gotten drunk and shouted abuse in her direction.

So as yet another day ended and Nick settled down for the night, surrounded and yet alone the red fox resigned himself to the fact that he was isolated…again. His actions had lead to a similar state of affairs at home with the only major difference being that the threat of being killed was even higher. As Nick lay there, his eyes closed in an attempt to sleep, with the sounds of the latest camp all around him he felt something move nearby. At first he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him… again. But then the beams of moonlight dancing on his eye lids were cut off.

"Early night Wilde?" The voice was instantly recognisable to the fox. He cracked an eye open and sure enough was greeted by his sergeant standing over him. Rather than respond Nick just sighed and rolled over. "You cant hide forever Nick" Wilde just stayed as he was feeling too ashamed to look at his superior and without realising it he began to curl into ball.

Nick stayed like that, silently hoping that John would simply go away either getting bored or being called to another duty. This worked in the past but in this case John sat down and waited patiently. Unknown to Nick he'd checked before hand and finished all his tasks for the day meaning he had all the time in the world to wait. The pair just stayed like that for several minutes, Nick attempting to fall asleep or at least appear asleep and John just sitting quietly.

Nick finally gave up and rolled onto his back once again seeing John was sitting next to him silently smoking a cigarette. "ready to talk?"

"Do I have a choice?" Nick responded sounding exasperated.

"Not really" The vulpine sighed and sat up. He hated this, facing up to his mistakes. He'd much rather spend his life running from his errors and living alone. But he couldn't run this time. He was trapped here with these mammals for better or for worse as running would get you put in front of a firing squad.

Instead of trying to explain his behaviour or even apologise though he sat and waited for the verbal torrent of abuse he had grown accustom to. However what came next both surprised and terrorfied him "I read your file by the way" Why Nick was worried by this little admission though he didn't fully know. He was in a penal battalion after all and being a confidence trickster was, by their standards, tame. They were murderers, bank robbers and arsonists so surely John had seen far worse than anything Nick could do.

"Reading up on me behind my back?" He huffed the agitation clear in his voice. He hated it when people new to much about him as it left you vulnerable to what ever they found. They could use it to their advantage, so to learn that someone had found out about him without his knowledge put the vulpine on edge.

Nicks agitated behaviour didn't faze the grizzled wolf. He knew why Nick was unhappy at learning what he'd done, nobody likes to find out someone has been snooping into their past. "Well its not like I was gonna find out from you"

' _Got us there Nick'_ Nick took a deep breath weighing up his options only to come to the conclusion his only viable one was to go along with what ever the wolf had found. Coming to this realisation he blew the breath he'd sucked in out, puffing his cheeks in the process. "Well if you've read my file you surly know everything there is to know about me. Everything important anyway"

Flicking the last little bit of his cigarette away John answered "Not everything. The file only gives you a basic idea of who your dealing with. Their name, age, place of origin that sort of thing. It doesn't give any personality details. For example it didn't say anything about a serious drinking problem"

"Probably because I don't have one" Nick defended

John gave him a sceptical look. "You spent nearly an entire month stone cold drunk Wilde. That's a problem and as such when next we get time away from the line I don't wanna see you anywhere near alcohol. Understand?" The last part of that sentence was stated with a icy warning tone as if daring the fox to contradict him. The tone sent a chill down Nicks spine and faced with the evidence Nick couldn't really deny he had a problem. Not that he'd ever admit it.

"But I don't believe in getting something for nothing. So I ask you something you ask me something. Deal?"

Either way this was a opportunity to good to miss so Wilde slapped on his best hustler smirk could I ask first?"

John lit another cigarette, ' _This guy has a serious nicotine problem'_ , before a small smile played at his lips "All right Wilde, seems only fair after all the reading I've done. Ask away"

"That file wouldn't happen to say what I was convicted of did it?" It was a question that had been vexing Nick ever since he'd ended up in this situation.

John raised an eyebrow "A question about yourself? Bit narcissistic isn't it?" Nick just shrugged. But his smile evaporated mere seconds later with Johns next word.

"Rape"


	7. Chapter 6: Calm before the storm

Chapter 6: Calm before the storm

Rape.

That word, uttered from the lips of the wolf entered Nicks head and proceeded to smash the thoughts that Nick had spent the last week getting into some form of order. He didn't know how to respond, his internal thought process just kept coming back and focusing on that word and what it meant. He would never. He couldn't.

John sat and observed the reaction of the vulpine with silent curiosity. Most mammals knew what they did to deserve such punishment…some even took pleasure in it. However Nick seemed genuinely horrified by the news. The colour had vanished from his face, even his fur seemed dulled and his expression was frozen in a mixture of bewilderment and panic. But to make up his mind he needed more information.

Nick's mind was struggling to react and Johns silent behaviour was only making the situation worse. His lack of emotion and the cold, neutral way he had delivered that word was driving Nick mad. His mouth moved but nothing came out. His throat felt dry and his paws clammy. "When? Who? I couldn't have!" The panic was clear in his voice and had not gone unnoticed by those around him. A few looked up from what they were doing with raised eye brows before continuing.

John took a drag from the cigarette hanging from his mouth before blowing if out again. It was a simple and quick act but to Nick it seemed to take forever as he waited to see if the wolf would believe him. "You sure about that?" The question wasn't delivered with any malice or sympathy, only neutrality and a raised brow. He gave no indication of what he was thinking.

Nick found himself staring at the wolf again. Did he really think that he was capable of such an act? Or was he just investigating the possibility? "How-what?" He forced out.

"Nick how much of our time in Kenya do you remember?" Scars spoke with the same neutrality from earlier thought the question was useful for the vulpine. It caused Nicks mind to pause and began to function again as the question gave him something to focus on. But truth be told he could remember Johns warning or was it advice? He honestly couldn't tell and that was about it.

"I'm guessing by that silence not a lot and to be honest with how much you were downing its not really very surprising" That gravelly voice dragged Nick back to the conversation. "Your file didn't say anything about a drinking problem before but that doesn't mean you done have one"

Nick didn't feel the urge to punch someone very often but John's cold and clinical reasoning was really starting to push his buttons. "There's a big difference between getting drunk and raping someone!" His anger was clear in his voice as he snapped at the wolf. John however didn't even blink.

Nick did have a point but it was still possible "Thats true Nick but its happened before and will happen again. So ever been so pissed you don't remember anything?"

Nick thought for a moment and only one instance came to mind. "Only when my father died. But that was years ago" Nick didn't realise it but he was speaking through gritted teeth with his features contorted into a snarl. He also didn't notice the other members of the squad watching from afar. They weren't surprised at the fact John wasn't fazed by the hostile stance of the fox but unlike most of his contemporaries he usual didn't jump to violence.

After hearing Nick's admission John thought for a moment. A historic rape allegation was possible however in this case unlikely. Nicks low status was the thing that made it unlikely as the only thing a person would get by accusing him would be sense of justice. Fair enough but would the police really spend time, money and resources on convicting a con fox? In John's experience no, no they wouldn't. That left him with two options, either Nick was lying or he was innocent.

With what he had seen of the fox John found himself leaning more and more in favour of the idea the Nick was innocent. Nick hadn't shown any violent behaviour even when drunk. He'd snapped and given angry retorts at people but he hadn't attacked or even threatened anyone. Still that's how monsters operate, they hide behind a mask and only take it off in front of their victims. He knew the fox hide behind a mask but he just didn't know how deep that mask was.

While John sat there deep in thought Nick's mind was still in turmoil but one emotion was dominating them. Anger. A almost savage rage was tearing his mind apart. He was enraged by the idea that John didn't appear to believe him and even more angry that someone would falsely accuse him of such a thing. _'John right though. How_ _ **do**_ _you know_ _you didn't do this?'_ That fucking voice was back and it was sowing the seeds of doubt in his mind and it was making it even angrier.

John sensed the raged from the fox "Getting pissed isn't gonna achieve anything" This did little to cool the temper of the vulpine who in Johns eye's looked ready to take on a company all by himself. It impressed the wolf in all honesty, but anger needed to be controlled to be useful otherwise it could have the opposite effect. As the wolfs first NCO had told him " _anger, use it but don't lose it"_

"How can I calm down knowing this! I've been condemned to this for something I didn't do!" His anger was clear to all around and more and more mammals found themselves watching the exchange. They stopped however when John noticed them.

"You have every right to be angry Wilde but its not going to make a bit of difference" He spoke in a calm, matter of fact tone and before Nick could give another angry retort he spoke again. "Your in Somalia, thousands of miles from those who have put you here. Deal with each problem as it comes and your first problem is how to get home alive, cause you wont get answers here."

Nicks anger simmered. As much as he wanted to punch John, to beat him until his teeth came out and he couldn't see. He had to admit he was right. He couldn't do anything about it out here. That and Nick seriously doubted he'd be able to actually hurt John…and get away with it. "And don't think your special either. You aint the first to wrongly end up here" That caught Nicks attention.

"What do you mean?" The hostility was still clear as he spoke but it was beginning to dissipate. He was tired and now had even more confused and unpleasant thoughts floating around in his head.

John took the final drag from his cigarette and threw away the but. "Well, put it this way. I'm the only member of our team that deserves to be here" This was the first time since the mention of…that word that the wolf had shown emotion. There was a small amount of…sadness or regret? It was difficult for Nick to tell it was so fleeting.

"BLACKWELL!" The Scottish accent of the Captain reverberated through the evening air the impatience obvious to all. "GET OVER HERE!"

John sighed before speaking with the emphasis on his exasperated tone "What have I done this time? I better go and see what's pissed him off this time" He stood but as he walked away he turned one final time just as the fox had lay down once more. "For what its worth, I always believed you" Without another word he disappeared around one of the trucks that had been carrying their heavy equipment.

Nick sat up dumbstruck. _'That, that bastard was stringing me along! Why!'_ Despite the deception Nick was relived by the fact that there was at least one person who believed him. But any other thought's were cut off as he began to feel sleep over take him. 16 hours of marching really did take it out of you and the throbbing from his muzzle was still there. However one thought did enter his mind before he slipped into the comforting darkness.

' _We should never play poker with that guy…wait who's we?'_


	8. Chapter 7: Deck the halls

Chapter 7: Deck the halls…

23rd of December 2011. For most this time of year was one of peace, prosperity and good will to all mammals. But For Nick and the rest of the 16th it would be one of violence, poverty and savage hate. Today was when their attack on the north of Mogadishu would begin and for Nick it would be his first taste of a real battle. They had spent the rest of the month marching through the flat grasslands of Somalia kicking up a large dust cloud in the process.

They had reach the city on the evening of the 21st of December and had spend the following day to ready themselves for the battle to come. It had been during this time that Nick had finally been able to get Jazz and the others to talk to him again. During the march only John had kept him company and although Nick did appreciated this, the wolf's lack of social nuances together with a dry, and at times morbid, British sense of humour took some getting used too. The highlight for the 800 mammals of the battalion had been the time spent swimming in the Indian ocean. Having spent the better part of a month marching day in day out, in 40 degree heat and having no way of cleaning themselves all had jumped at the chance to dive into the cool waters.

It was during this time that Nick had begun to talk to some of the other mammals around him. Ratchet, clank and klink were the top mechanics having an in-depth knowledge of all things mechanical. In Nicks opinion the three also seemed to have an unnaturally close relationship with the Jeeps and trucks…but were friendly enough.

That being said they'd also been part of the battalion for a lot longer than he had and as a result knew how it functioned. They had told him that the mammals in the battalion fell into the four distinct types. Heavies, Technicians, shock troops and recon. The heavies consisted of rhinos, elephants and any other mega-fauna present. They were responsible for all the heavy weapons and equipment in the battalion but as their large size made them obvious targets on a battlefield they stayed at the back and provided support. Next came the technicians or 'sparkies' as they were more often referred to. These made up the bulk of the unit, making up around 70% of their overall strength, and where responsible for all technical jobs. Although all in the battalion were taught engineering skills the sparkies specialised in them. In combat they provided the numbers necessary to succeed.

Shock troops were next and where made up of small and medium sized mammals. They were clad in home made armour, salvaged from destroyed vehicles, and equipped for close range combat with automatic weapons, grenades and an assortment of paw to paw weapons. Their speciality was purely combat. They were tasked with the clearing of buildings and bunkers a difficult and very dangerous job. Finally came the scouts. These consisted of snipers and lightly armed small mammals like rabbits and fox's tasked with reconnaissance and raiding.

Now though the time for relaxing and preparing was over. They lay in the grass all eyes fixed on the city as shells and rockets whistled over head. The Xakiimo Restaurant lay in front of them. It was a three story building in the style of classical Islamic architecture, surrounded by a reinforced concrete wall. Several large spires covered the large courtyards and to make the situation even more dangerous the battalion would have to cover alot of open ground to get to the outer wall.

The sun was merciless as it beat down upon the unprotected heads and backs of the mammals currently hiding in the grass. Nick lay there panting. It was 40 degrees again only this time the off shore breeze had vanished as if it sensed that the mammals would need it now more than ever.

The minutes ticked by and yet no orders came. They had been ordered to form up early in the morning and had been hiding in the long grass ever since. The tension was palpable as the unyielding silence continued. It began to play on Nicks nerves as he looked between the other mammals that surrounded him. To his left was a deer who was playing with the grass under his hooves, occasionally ripping a hoof full out to place it into his mouth and chew on it slowly. Nick turned to his right where there was a black bear, a photograph in his paw. Exactly what was on the photo Nick didn't know, but the bear had a slightly misty eyed stare as he looked at it.

Nick looked forward once more. To his front left was John and to his front right Sasha. John in particular looked eager to get moving as his muscles twitched under his fur, his veins protruded from under his skin and fur coat. Sasha mean while was panting heavily. Her thick fur and armour combined to make the leopardess almost unfit for duty.

Nick gave her a nudge and when she looked back he offered her his canteen. Sasha seemed surprised but none the less accepted it. She eagerly lapped down the cooling liquid within. She almost drank the whole thing but Nick gave her another nudge so she remembered that it wasn't her canteen. Sasha stopped mid gulp before lowing the canteen, replaced the cap and with an apologetic smile she passed it back then turned her gaze back to the city.

The vulpine heard mumbling from behind him. Peering over his shoulder he saw a ram praying with a set of catholic prayer beads in hoof. The fear was clear to anyone listening as he was speaking at an increased, unnatural speed causing him to trip over his tongue. All of them knew how he felt. Nick in particular had a very fresh experience with fear. People had phobias and everyone felt scared at some point but very few experienced real, bone chilling fear during their lives. Nick was 29 and had felt the icy caress of death first hand. The paralysing fear spawned from the knowledge that you were most likely about to die and there was nothing you could do about it.

"Fix bayonets" The order wasn't shouted or barked out but rolled as a wave of hushed whispered down the line, from NCO to NCO. The sounds of hundreds of blades being removed from their scabbards was heard followed by the click as they were fixed to a rifle. "Safeties off" Another series of clicks as weapons went live.

All Nick could hear was the pumping of blood in his ears. His throat felt dry and his paws began to shake. He tried to calm himself by thinking back to some advice he'd gotten that morning. ' _You're a medic not a killer. When you hear that call you answer'_ It was a small bone of comfort that he wouldn't be expected to take another's life. Regardless of what his file said he had never broken the law, merely bent it. ' _Still so sure of your self'_ That voice hadn't left him alone since he'd learnt the nature of his prosecution and had been trying its best to make him doubt himself, if he was being honest it was beginning to have an effect.

Blades glinted under the noon day sun. All nervous thoughts were pushed from the minds of those there as their pulses quickened. "Forward" With practised ease the entire unit moved forward, hunched over, with shock troops in the lead. The battalion moved forward slowly and silently while the enemy didn't answer their challenge. "Why aint they shootin?" one voice whispered.

"Maybe their all dead" A voice replied sounding almost excited by the prospect "Hey Serge think their all dead?"

"Not a chance"

A light breeze suddenly blew down the line from the sea. Its sudden appearance made them stop and just savour its cooling caress. To enjoy the wind in their fur or on their hide. It didn't last long.

A horrific din filled the air. The experienced soldiers knew what was coming and dived for the nearest cover. The newer members didn't.

Artillery shells began exploding all over the field. Deafening explosions punctuated by the whiz of shrapnel and the thud as earth landed again. Mangled bodies were hurled into the air and thrown several feet. Nick found himself pressing his body to the earth as if trying to force himself through it. Shrapnel flew inches over his head or buried itself in the ground around him. He couldn't think. Everything was happening too quickly.

A paw shot out from a hole beside Nick and grabbed his wrist. He barely had time to register the spotted paw before its owner, with one swift yank, pulled him into the hole. It was Sasha.

"VINZ! VINZ!" The fox couldn't really hear what she was saying but her paw movements gave it away. The next few seconds stretched into minutes as the artillery continued its merciless assault. Nick was beginning to wonder if they had an unlimited supply of shells.

Then it stopped.

As quickly as it began the deadly rain of steel and high explosive stopped and the dust began to settle. As the last few chunks of bodies finally landed with a sickening thud, the whales and cries of the wounded rose. An elk lay a small distance from the hole they were lying in with his right arm missing. Johns head emerged from a hole just in front of the fox in a comical fashion. He made a quick sweep of the area before barking "Get to it Wilde, the rest of you FOLLOW ME!". With that he jumped out the hole and, followed by those who were uninjured, made a dash for the outer wall of the restaurant.

Meanwhile Nick scrambled out of his hole towards the elk who was still screaming his lungs out. Nick was surprised by his own actions. He'd expected to panic when finally put in this positing, to go to pieces and…well fuck up. But he didn't. His training, limited though it was, kicked in and he went about his task like he was reading it out of a manual. Issue morphine, elevate limb, apply tourniquet and try to comfort the casualty.

He was so absorbed by his job he'd failed to notice the machine gun and sniper fire that zipped around them and peppered the ground. He didn't start to pay attention again until two bears with a stretcher arrived and carried the elk back to the rear. It was then he noticed he was sitting in the middle of an open field with machine guns and snipers taking pot shots at him.

Having finally been brought back to reality he jumped back into the hole he'd origonally come from. Peeking over the edge of his sanctuary he saw that the lead elements had made to the perimeter wall and as he looked around he saw that the medics that had stayed behind were slowly moving up to join them. With the rest of the wounded being tended to Nick adjusted his helmet and made a dash for the wall.


	9. Chapter 8: With belts of hand grenades

Chapter 8: with Belts of Hand Grenades

White hot steel flew past as Nick ran for the wall. Other mammals where also making their way forward under the hail of artillery and machine gun fire. Though the artillery had slackened it was still coming and every few seconds a new explosion would throw earth and mammals into the sky. The screams and cries as mammals were scythed down filled the air burning themselves into Nicks memory. But it didn't matter, not at the moment. His survival demanded he make it to that wall.

Was he scared? Had he been thinking properly he would have been terrified just like back near arkangle. But this time he wasn't. He had something to focus on, a goal and it kept his mind from spiralling out of control. It prevented the fear from paralysing him and gave him a purpose.

He ran from hole to hole, ducking and dodging as he went. The air seemed hot and sticky with being so filled with white hot metal and stank with the smell of gunpowder. A jaguar, sharing the latest hole Nick had jumped into, fired off a RPG. The back blast kicking up dust and dirt from the rim of the crater as the projectile flew of towards one of the spires. Nick didn't hear the big cat when he spoke, nor the rushing sound from the rocket motor, only a distant boom as it struck home causing the structure to finally collapse. His ears rang in his slightly dazed state as he looked around through the dust and dirt kicked up by thousands of projectiles.

"Move it yeh Jessies!" The captains Scottish charm rose over the field. The red maned lion walked across the battlefield as if it were a peaceful Sunday afternoon in Savannah square. "COME ON! COME ON!" His shouts and arm movements the only indicators of the reality of the situation.

Flashes of tracers passed by striking some unlucky mammals. You never really appreciated just how much damage a bullet could do until you saw it for your self. They would blow of arms or legs. They would make a head burst like a ripe melon or leave dinner plate sized holes in the backs of their victims. As nicks senses began to come back to him he turned around again to find the Jaguar lying there emptily staring at the sky. A pool of blood was forming behind him, covering the sand. Panting heavily, Nick stared for a second before reaching over and closing the eyes of the deceased, before again running for the wall.

Nick threw himself into the drainage ditch that ran parallel to the wall. It wasn't big enough to hide in and for the larger mammals it appeared a minor obstacle to just step over in the mad, yet orderly, dash to get out from under the intense enemy fire. The small amount of water in the bottom of the ditch was already running red, staining his fur and clothes as he lay there. The ditch was close enough to the wall that Nick was able to crawl to the concrete boundary. He never thought he'd find himself in a situation where he would find a slab of concrete so beautiful but compared to everything else at that moment…Nick was practicably ready to mate with the damn thing as he pressed his back up against the wall taking deep breathes.

Several large holes had been blown through the reinforced concrete structure and around them bodies from both sides. Blood stained the wall and sand as savage shouts, roars and barks came from inside the compound. Several mammals were firing at the windows of the buildings inside the enclosure. The ear split crack of a sniper rifle going off caught the fox off guard causing him to spin his head in the direction of the sound. It was Jazz. As Nick watched her she fired again, seamlessly working the action to load a new cartridge. She continued to amaze Nick with how easily she could handle the wolf sized rifle even while standing. As she pulled back around the wall to reload she notices the fox staring at her. She just raised her eye brows as if asking "yes?"

They both knew why he was staring. He was a red blooded male after all and the sight of a attractive female using a sniper rifle was having a predictable result. Her French accent didn't help either. _"That part still works, so he cant be as scared as last time at least"_ the vixens inner monologue stated. Nick for his part turned away embarrassed and after readjusting himself peeked round the corner. The source of the savage shouts immediately filled his view. The fight for the restaurant had devolved into a paw to paw struggle. Clubs, knifes, bayonets all were being used. Some were struggling on the ground, rolling in the dirt while desperately trying to stab and slash at each other.

There was no skill involved in most cases. Just one mammal against another in a test of strength and endurance. When knifes failed they would push the head of the loser into the sand, until they stopped moving. When that failed they switched to the weapons nature gave them. In the middle of the maelstrom were John and Sasha. The leopardess was in a slugging match with an grizzly bear…and was winning. She shrugged off the left and right hooks that impacted her side and face before returning the favour. The barrage of swings knocked the bear to the ground and once there she lunged with her bolo knife. The sound of the knife sliding into the mammal was followed by the gargling of blood. His legs spasmed and paws flew up to his throat. With one final twist Sasha ripped the knife out, the bear went completely limp. She quickly jumped back to her feet and moved on to her next target.

Nick then switched to watch John. He was currently being challenged by 5 attackers, a polar bear, Arctic fox, two camels and a timber wolf. Most mammals would run in this situation but John seemed cool and collected with his bayonet in paw already, dripping with blood. The polar bear attack first, grabbing the barrel of his rifle and swinging the butt at the sergeants head. John ducked under the swing then as the bear moved next to him drove his weapon into the attackers armpit. The bear grunted as his face contorted with the pain of the strike then fell forward, as John twisted and removed the blade, blood flowing from his mouth. John's feet hadn't moved from their place and his victim lay writhing on the ground next to him. The Arctic fox stared wide eyed at the display.

Next came the camels, one lunging at John with a bayonet fixed to a rifle the second charged with a fire axe raised above his head. John moved just enough so that the first camels strike bounced off the side of his armour. His forward momentum carried him straight into the blade of John's 18 inch bayonet that was sliced across his throat, the blood spilling onto John's armour. The movement allowed the sergeant to spin round in one fluid motion and dive his weapon into the heart of the second assailant. The camel dropped the axe behind him and sank to his knees before falling backwards. In his movement John had found himself facing Nick. The wolfs eyes were steely and cold. But not psychotic as the martial display left Nick speech less.

As John turned round the wolf before him bolted, running as quickly as possible for the nearest exit. The Arctic fox though stood there frozen. Her clear blue eyes terrified of the mammal stood in front of her. Nick expected him to simply walk over and decapitate the fox or to do something similar. But instead he made a nod in the direction of the closest exit. The Vixen didn't need to be told twice, dropping her rifle and running for the exit.

A groan draw Nicks attention back to Jazz. She clutched her arm by her shoulder where blood began to seep through her fingers. Her face contorted with the pain. Nick moved to her side. "Let me see" She didn't seemed to enthusiastic about Nick working on her but didn't really have a choice. Reluctantly she removed her paw from the wound. Nick inspected the injury and found it to be unpleasant but not life threatening. It was a gun shot wound, probably fired from one of the windows of the main building. It had passed through the outside of the arm missing the bone in the process. Nick removed a dressing from one of his bags and pressed it to the wound causing jazz to hiss and screw her eyes shut with the pain. Nick grabbed her paw and used it to replace his in holding the dressing. Jazz had momentarily tensed when Nick had touched her paw but Nick authoritative tone brought her back to present "Keep pressure on it" he instructed. It felt strange to here it from the recently quite, timid fox. As Jazz applied pressure Nick tied off the bandage keeping it in place.

Meanwhile several Nighthowlers had made it into the main building but had been thrown back out again…some from second and third floor windows. They landed in the courtyard in bloody heaps mixed with fur of all colours. Grenades and satchel charges where thrown in from the outside the latter blowing out the exterior walls, along with the odd limb and lumps of flesh. Riley obviously wanted this last stand dealt with quickly.

"PRIVATE JENKINS, GET IN THERE!" a black and white tapir stepped forward with a flame thrower. Getting close enough to the building the soldier let loose, his muscles straining as the pressurised burning fuel was unleashed. Several of the bystanders began to whoop and cheer at the horrific site.

"YEH!"

"BURN EM LERROY!"

The fire spread quickly along the ground floor and some of those inside made a last minute dash for safety. Only to be gunned down by those outside. Soon the entire building was burning "BURN YEH LITTLE BASTARDS!" The screams and cries of those trapped inside was so haunting, so stomach churning Nick had to close his eyes and turn away with his fingers jammed into his ears. His tears stung his eyes and Jazz still next him pulled him into a one armed hug as she tried to fight off the urge to do the same. Some inside jumped from the windows to escape and those that survived that were finished off by those in the courtyard.

The next time Nick open his red rimmed eyes, It was all over. Another silence had fallen punctuated by the crackling of embers. The dead from both sides where being collected lied out next to each other with various gut wrenching injuries. Nick couldn't look at them. Regardless of their crimes he could bring himself to believe the deserved this. Jazz was still next to him and gave him a gentle squeeze and a small smile trying to hide the tears in her own eyes. He gave his own small smile before standing. The fight may be over but there were still wounded that needed tending but just as he began to walked off he caught sight of John. He was staring at the burnt out husk of the building. In a moment his mask slipped and his eyes filled with horror and sadness. A split second later though his mask was firmly back in place and he turned to go about his business. Although Nick didn't realise it John knew something he didn't.

It was going to get alot worse.


	10. Chapter 9: Enter Hell's gate

Chapter 9: Enter Hells gate

Worse was exactly what happened.

Their attack on the restaurant turned out to be their most successful day with light casualties (for them) and the capture of their objective. Even Christmas day had been fairly enjoyable given the circumstances, due to the fact that the basement of the restaurant was still stocked with food and alcohol. For many it was the first Christmas diner they'd had in years and for some it was just their first. Despite this he'd kept a close eye on his Vulpine medic, really not wanting a repeat of their time in Kenya. Although he had been tempted to drink away his most recent memories the fox had been able to resist the urge. He'd only recently gotten the others to start talking to him again and out here the thought of being alone with his new thoughts scared him almost as much as the flame throwers had.

Even the other side seemed to have taken the day off. No shells fell and no bullets flew. It was as if war had never happened and they were only on a peace time excise. The only sound was the wind as it blew through the narrow streets, laughter and music played through badly damaged radios. Penal radio had been established by former penal soldiers who were now unable to fight but still wanted to do something for those at the front and, using some tricks with the radio transmitters, could be played through just about anything and anywhere.

But all to soon the festivities had ended and they returned to their deadly task. A task that had turned into a nightmare. Individual buildings had been turned into strongholds, protected by machine guns, mines and several dozen defenders with no were to go and nothing to lose. Tanks and vehicles could would move through the streets only to be ambushed and pelted with Molotov cocktails. Booby traps were hidden everywhere, ranging from landmines and tripwires to caltrops and spike pits. When they weren't dealing with those, it was snipers hiding in the rubble and poison gas attacks from both sides. They found themselves relying more and more on artillery, air strikes and flame throwers to flush out the defenders. As a result civilian casualties were reaching truly hideous numbers.

When ever they and the other units captured a position they would face an immediate counter attack that would more often than not push them right back out again. What they didn't know, and in fact wouldn't find out until after the war, was that for the months leading up to the battle the defenders had been stocking the city with food, water, ammunition and soldiers. So much so that they actually out numbered their attackers. All those on the ground knew was that they had their objective and they had to complete it. A strong smell of burnt and decaying flesh hung over the city as the dead were left in no mammals land along with the wounded.

The wounded would spend days laying in the open until either they succumbed to exposure or their injuries. A lucky few would survive by either crawling back to friendly positions or waiting until the advance reached them but in that time they would add to the almost constant sounds of groaning and crying that flouted through the narrow streets. All this had made it difficult for Nick to sleep for the first few nights, especially when combined with his first battle experience. All the sounds that he'd been able to ignore in the furnace of battle his brain had logged and was now using to unleash hell in his head. It had made the first few nights torture but after a week of combat he was too tired to care. That didn't mean his sleep was pleasant though.

Now though Nick and the others found themselves in one of the 3 story buildings that made up the residential districts. This particular example had been a forward command post until they'd arrived to evict the prevision residence. The blood was still wet on the walls as Nick tended to Jazz's shoulder by checking the wound was clean before applying a new dressing. With the large numbers of decomposing bodies and blood around keeping even a minor injury clean was crucial or at the very least the vixen would lose her arm. She was his final charge of the day, after this time to relax or as close as you could get in this place.

"There your done" Nick stated in a ragged voice and a tone swimming in fatigue.

The vixen inspected Nicks paw work. The graze hurt and in the heat of the day would throb in time with her pulse but despite this it had stopped bothering her after a few days. "Merci" Despite Nicks inexperience he was adept at the art of stitching and bandaging learning quickly by doing it day in day out. The two foxes sat in silence, Nicks head falling back against the wall with a slight thud. Across from them Ollie slept with his head supported on Sasha's arm. The leopardess didn't seemed too bothered, until Jazz gave her a cheeky smile and wink. Sasha's face turned sour as she gave Ollie a firm shove resulting in the koala falling flat on his side, yet this didn't wake him from his slumber. He stirred slightly and mumbled something but didn't wake up, instead curling into a ball. The little display brought a fond smile to Nicks face as his paws rested on his helmet in his lap.

He wasn't the only one. As John returned from his latest loo break to sit next to the sleeping corporal and begin cleaning and sharpening his bayonet. The weapon had been seeing alot of action in the confined street and rubble fighting. Unsurprisingly given the state of sanitation in the city disease was a serious issue with most cases resulting in explosive bowel movements, John however had the exact opposite problem. Raising his head to look Nick in the eye. "Well Nick I believe I owe you some answers"

Adopting a confused expression the fox attempted to recall what he may be referencing, only to come up empty pawed. "about what?"

The wolf gave Nick a knowing smirk "you remember that talk we had before the restaurant?". Ah yes, _that_ conversation. Nick nodded not wanting to dwell on what he'd learnt. _"rape"_ the voice whispered. "I know you think I'm full of shit Nick" Sasha raised an eye brow "Well now of course I am but, the terms were I ask a question then you ask. You didn't get to ask anything and its time to fix that. So ask away"

Nick eyed the wolf suspiciously. He never gave off a 'warm and fuzzy' feeling and could hide his emotions behind a mask that put Nicks to shame. Still the chance was to good to pass up. "Ok. How did you lose your leg?

"Had a funny feeling you go for that" he chuckled. "In between deployments we used to be placed in prisons, since we had no barracks or bases of our own. Anyway one day a pair of guards were either drunk or bored, maybe both, and…"

"They decided to cut your leg off?!" Nick was horrified and almost thankful he'd landed in a penal unit.

John stopped sharpening to look up "Cut implies they used a bladed instrument. Beaten off would be more accurate."

"You can do that? With what?"

"With the butt of a shotgun and yes you can, obviously".

Nicks eyes fluttered down to where Johns organic leg should be but instead saw the cold, sculpted steel of his prosthetic. "How?"

John when back to his bayonet. "When mammals are born they have more individual bones than when they are adults. This is to make giving birth easier. As we grow older our bones fuse along growth plates and wolfs have one of these just above our knee. Hit this spot often enough and with enough force and you'll separate the limb." John delivered the explanation with his typical cool style. But as interesting as the biology lesson was it wasn't what Nick was referring to.

"No, I mean how can they do it?" The idea that those who were meant to uphold the law would so fragrantly break it, while not surprising to Nick such an extreme example made him shiver.

The wolf gave a small chuckle. "You'd be amazed and terrified what mammals will do when they believe it is justifiable". It was a sobering thought. What could John had done to make his guards feel like this was a just punishment? Was his cold, calculating personality a product of his past?, or the cause of it?

Before Nick could put these thoughts into words, Jazz spoke up. "But don't your leg bones fuse during your teens?" Jazz had been sitting and listening quietly. Truth be told he'd already told her about what had happened to his leg. But when he had the pair had been patrolling in Finland and the vixen had been more concerned about keeping warm than talking which In Sasha's words " _was a first"_

"They haven't by the age of 15" The two foxes shared a look. He was in jail aged 15?

Both turned to look at their sergeant again and after taking a moment to organise this information Nick spoke "15? how old are you exactly and how long have you been in here?"

John inspected his weapon. Gone was the blood and gore that had been present on its blade replaced instead by gleaming steel. After inspecting to see that the blade was as sharp as possible he returned it to its scabbard. "How old do you think I am?" he asked, cigarette hanging from his mouth and a slight smile on his lips. Nick inspected the wolf before him but quickly decided that trying to guess his age in his current state would be impossible. His fur being matted together by blood and dirt, with dirty bandages covering shrapnel and knife wounds.

Jazz was having a similar problem. Instead she thought back to the day before their attack, when the battalion had gone swimming in the Indian ocean and it was one of the few times she had seen him out of his armour. It had given her the chance to see the true extent of his burn. It ran from his hip, up the left side of his body and arm stopping on the bottom of his jaw. It dwarfed all other marks on his body and yet despite the damage, fur still grew there even if it was thinner than it was supposed to be. In fact actually stopping to examine him he didn't look that old, a tattoo of the battalion standard on his right shoulder still clear as day with no sign of ware.

Nick was attempting the same as Jazz but was getting distracted. John hadn't been the only one swimming, Jazz had too. The lack of spare clothes also meant that she had done so in nothing but her fur. The finally toned muscle on a unequally feminine frame would have made any male's pulse race but couple that to the image of her emerging from from glistening water, dripping wet. It had made Nick feel like an awkward teenager again and had made him take a few minutes for himself.

Nick mentally shook his head before Jazz threw a number out. "25?"

John took a drag from his cigarette "18 and I've been doing this for 5 years" Both fox's stared at the wolf. He'd been doing this since he was 13?

Any questions they had though were interrupted by Klink charging into the room "ALARM! ALARM!"

John flicked his cigarette away before standing and with a firm nudge from his boot stirred the Corporal "Welcoming committee's here"


	11. Chapter 10: A different battlefield

**Afternoon all.**

 **This chapter was suppose to go up here yesterday but for what ever reason Fan fiction just decided to say nope. Anyway now they've fed the server mouse and he's back running on his wheel he it is enjoy.**

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Chapter 10: A different battlefield

Sleep.

It was something Nick had been sorely lacking for the past few weeks. So when his eye lids closed the fox let out a relieved, if exhausted, sigh. A relative quiet fell on him even as Jets flew over head followed by a distant boom as their payloads exploded. The rattle of machine gun fire and the distinct crack of a sniper all passed the fox by as the comforting darkness enveloped him.

"Nick?" A voice called him from beyond his comfortable realm. Nick ignored it willing whom ever it was to just leave him be. "Nick?" It called again, it sounded familiar but rather than dwelling on it he rolled over and went back to sleep.

"Nicky?" Nicky? There was only one person who called him Nicky. But it couldn't be. Nick was in Somalia and his mum was back in Zootopia, so it was probably just Ollie or Jazz messing with him…again.

"Shut up Jazz" came his sleepy and annoyed response. It had been a rough few weeks and it didn't look like they'd be getting a break any time soon so Nick wasn't in the mood for this kind of joke.

"Nicky?" the voice was definitely feminine but it lacked the Parisian accent of the golden vixen. ' _So Jazz can do an American accent whoop de do'_ "Nicky?" The voice sounded more desperate this time as if Nick was in danger.

He was starting to become seriously annoyed by this point. The past week had been the worst so far as it seemed that resistance got stronger the further into the city they got. Ambushes and booby traps became more common and the cost in dead and wounded was mounting daily. Nick was spending all day trying to care for mammals with missing limbs or who were hanging to life by a thread. And if all that wasn't bad enough and disease didn't get them the cases of insanity were on the rise, a consequence of mammals being thrown into a situation they weren't prepared for.

"NICKY!" she was sobbing at this point. ' _she's really fucking milking this'_

"NIC-"

"WHAT?!" Nicks eyes snapped open as he turned to in the direction of the voice. Fire in his eyes, and teeth bared. He was all for jokes and messing around, but his fuse was wearing thin. He was ready to break the jaw of who ever was choosing now to play a prank on him. The things he'd been seeing over the past few weeks had slowly been filling him with anger and every time he'd stopped to think about the crime he'd been convicted of it only made his anger worse.

That anger disintegrated though when he saw the source of the voice. Standing before him, in the door way leading to the street, was his mother. Tear tracks stained her cheeks as she stood there, shaking slightly.

Nick looked around. The room was empty, except for him and Marian. There was no sound. No wind, no gun fire, nothing. Even the smells were gone replaced by a vacuum. It was unnerving.

"Why Nicky?" she sobbed the tears falling anew. Nick looked at her as she cried, he hated seeing her in this state and it made his heart ache. But he also watched her with confusion.

"H-how are you here?" He stared, tears stinging his eyes, trying to figure out how she was here.

"WHY NICHOLAS?!" she shrieked casing Nick to jump, as the question echoed around the vacant room. As she marched towards him, a sense of betrayal in her eyes Nick scrambled backwards unsure of what she was going to do when she got to him. As quickly as she had began he advance, she stopped. Nicks mouth was dry, his heart thundered and his mind reeled.

Then he smelt it. The unmistakable smell of burning fox. Her feet were on fire.

"MOM!" Nick went to move. To do something. Anything. But something was stopping him, like a foot on his neck pinning him to the floor. The flames grew, slowly snaking their way up her legs. She stared directly into his emerald eyes. "NOOOOO!MOM!" the flames now covered her belly and moved to her chest and neck. The floor beneath Nick gave way and he fell into an unyielding pitch blackness.

The last thing he heard was a scream. A scream of terror and agony. A scream that made it feel as if his heart was being ripped from his chest.

A pair of eyes suddenly appeared from the darkness, but these eyes he didn't recognise. As he continued to fall he grasped at what ever he could whatever may be within reach. And yet the eyes stared, the large and rich lavender iris' of them sent a chill through the Fox.

Then they vanished. And Nick saw the floor rushing up to meet him.

Nick Jolted awake, instantly bolting up right, almost head butting Sasha in the process. His heart was still hammering as he looked around the room, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. Everything was back as it should have been. The others sleeping, Jazz on watch and no sign of his mother. His gaze moved back to Sasha. The normal quiet and solitary leopardess looked him over with a look of understanding and sympathy. "Dream?" she asked though she already knew the answer. Nick silently nodded.

She gave a small smile whilst rubbing his shoulder and arm with a tenderness Nick didn't know she possessed. She stayed with him until his breathing and pulse returned to normal. "OK?" she inquired.

Nick nodded once again. "Yeh, thanks" She gave him a smile and a firm pat on the shoulder before going back to her side of the room.

The fox lay back down and closed his eyes once more. His mum had been so real, he could even smell her perfume. And then those eyes. He didn't know anyone with purple eyes. Apart from the antelope that had nearly killed Nick in Russia but the eyes from his dream were bigger and had a richer fuller colour, though he still couldn't place where they were from. Nick didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts though as he slowly drifted back to the realm of sleep.


	12. Chapter 11: Day off

Chapter 11: Day off

Sergeant Jonathan Blackwell.

Probably one of the longest serving members of the Nighthowlers and defiantly the most mutilated. Those around him respect him, those against him learn to fear him and the things he's capable of well lets leave them for now. He's never had an easy life but does that excuse him? How does one mammal live with it? How do you live with it John?

John looked up and into the eyes staring at him from the far corner of the room. He knew the mammal in question well because he was the only other mammal that had been part of the penal battalion as long as him. The mammal opposite him looked exactly like himself but with one difference, his eyes did not have the rounded pupil of an evolved wolf instead they were savage, animalistic slits. He had a villainous smile, exposing his sharp fangs, that was positively oozing malice. John hated him with every fibber of his being but just stared unable to turn away.

'Nothing to say to your old mate scars?' John just continued to stare, wanting to do nothing more than to march over and end the other wolf. 'No? No matter, your silence tells me everything anyway' John blinked and he was gone. But his voice remained 'Be seeing you soon John' he chuckled as the sergeant continued to stare.

"You OK Johnny?" Ollie's voice brought the sergeant back to reality and the group of mammals round a table playing cards. Said mammals were now staring at him with looks ranging from concerned to amused.

"That wall must be very interesting, because you've been staring at it for 5 minutes" Nick threw in.

Johns raised his brow before answering "Its infinitely more interesting than you Wilde" This caused the others to laugh, their sounds flouting across the no mammals land out side. Nick however went back to examining his cards grumbling slightly. The game in question wasn't the most complicated but there wasn't much else to do plus most of those there hadn't played cards before. They were currently in one of the many three story houses that made up the outer ring of the city. Nick, Ollie, Private Jenkins and Captain Riley were seated around a small round table playing bullshit. The rest of the room was fairly Spartan, with a pawful of cabinets around what would have once served as a kitchen and a damaged book case witch still held some of its contents one of which John had been reading.

Nick pulled out a card from his paw "5 of hearts" His con mammal persona had returned whilst playing the game and as a result he was winning.

"Bullshit" Nicks face remained in its cocky, con setting making Leroy re-evaluate his statement. But it was too late.

"See for yourself" the tapir lifted the card on the top of the revealing a 5 of hearts.

"Fuck. Why did we agree to let a god damn con mammal play?" he grouched replacing the card.

At this captain Riley commented "Cause the bastard never told us he was one" It was true, Nick had failed to mention that piece of information before sitting down to play. Now he only had three cards left while the others all had more cards than they'd started with and were having no luck getting rid of them.

"Its called a hustle, sweetheart"

Riley lowered his cards and looked Nick straight in the eye "you know Wilde I should pull you up on the sweetheart comment." Nick's self assured smile lessened to a grin as he momentarily thought he'd over stepped the line. Riley let him simmer for a moment enjoying the cocky smile, in place since the start of the game, fall slightly. "But I wont cause then I'd need to explain why to the major why I'm playing cards." Nick breathed a sigh of relief as he reapplied his hustler mask.

As the others returned to their game John stood and moved to the stairs carrying his book with him. It was his turn on watch so he needed to go and relieve Jazz and Sasha on the roof not that he strictly needed to go on watch any more. Having been promoted to platoon commander, following the death of lieutenant Woods, he could just palm the job off to someone else. But he wouldn't because it gave him something to do and it wasn't the first time he'd been in this situation. Nor would it be the last. The narrow stairwell still smelt of blood that rose with the heat, the further up the building you went the stronger it got until you reached the roof where it could disperse. The heat was stifling as once again the wind was absent making the temperature even worse.

"Afternoon you two. Anything exciting happen?" He asked before sitting and reopening his book.

Jazz put down her rifle finally giving up on a target. She'd spotted an enemy officer over an hour ago, but he'd disappeared before she could get a shot off, and had been waiting patiently for him to reappear so she could show him the error of his ways. But he'd appeared to have realised that walking around in the open was suicidal in this city and had gone to ground. "Non, just the usual" she sighed bitterly.

"Why so bitter?" John didn't look up as he said this and his voice was in a neutral stock setting, the one he used when he was trying to solve a particularity difficult problem, cold and almost disinterested.

Jazz sat opposite him too annoyed at her own perceived failing to give any mind to her sergeants tone. It was up to Sasha to answer "She missed".

"Missed who?"

Jazz spoke up. Sasha's English wasn't good and as such things could get lost in translation. So to spare herself from any unnecessary embarrassment she decided it was better for her to explain. "I saw an officer down there" as she pointed to the road with her thumb, John gave a cursory glance in that direction but didn't interrupt "But he made it into cover before I could hit him"

Turning back to his book "Thats it?" John tone was still in its calculating setting causing Jazz to do a double take.

"Well, yeh"

"Jazz you're a talented shot but not a robot." Although Jazz knew he was right she still sat there like a whiny teenager. For her it was a matter of pride. She was the best shot in the battalion, hell she could put most special forces snipers to shame. So when she missed or wasn't fast enough to take a shot, she hated it.

John knew what was going on in her head and he knew exactly how to fix it. Let her pride take the dent, she'll go away and sulk for a while before returning to her normal, flirty, bubbly self. "What about you Sasha?" The snow leopard just gave him the thumbs up. "I always enjoy our conversations" At that she gave him the middle finger before leaving the roof. Jazz however had gone back to her rifle and was waiting, just waiting for someone to be dumb enough to poke their head out.

John sat staring at the book but not reading. His newest charge, Nick, was what occupied his mind. He'd read his file and had been living with him for 4 months now and the longer he spent with him the more his conviction grew. When faced with conflict the fox would prefer to use his brain rather than muscle, It was one of the qualities John liked the most about him. They had no problem getting strong mammals but smart ones were few and far between. This left John with a question and when John wanted answers he got them.

With determination he lowered the book being careful to keep it on the right page. The wolf reached into his pack and pulled out his phone. It was a badly damaged old Nokoala with half the screen not working and most of the buttons missing and in a way it reminded hi of himself, damaged, broken, unwanted by most but still living. The wolf thought for a second trying to remember where Nick was from before he dialled a almost forgot number into the keypad and waited as it rang.

"Hello?" A electronically assisted voice answered followed by a load coughing fit.

He recognised that voice, even if it was a little worse than it had been the last time "Cyrus, didn't the doctor tell you to stop smoking?"

There was a silence. "What do you want?" the worry clear in he the synthesised voice.

"I'm here to call in that favour you owe me"

Meanwhile

Waiting for John to leave the room Nick turned to the others "What was that all about?"

"Its Johns turn on watch. Even though he doesn't have to. 3 of clubs" Riley answered placing his card down.

"No I mean the wall thing. Why was he staring at a wall?" Nick pressed.

Ollie sighed and looked at Nick with a clear conflict playing in his eyes. This was one of John secrets one that the secretive and deeply distrusting wolf had told him. John may talk to just about everyone but very few knew anything about him. Even Jazz had only discovered the very tip of the troublesome ice berg. But Nick had proven remarkably durable and as a member of John's personal team he would be told sooner or later. Nick could see the debate playing back and forth in the corporal's head.

"Hey Nick. Its your turn oh hay Sasha" Jenkins brought the two squad mates back to reality as Sasha entered the room. It also helped Ollie make up his mind on the matter.

"Thats something for John to tell you." He answered flatly

Nick was both disappointed and intrigued. Nick picked out one of the three cards he had left "Ace of spades" What else was that wolf hiding? Come to think of it what were the others hiding? Sasha however interrupted these thoughts.

"" Leroy just looked at the leopardess in complete bewilderment at what she had said.

After a few minutes of silence Riley translated for them "She said bullshit. Show the card Nick"

"Whoa, but she's not playing"

A smirk grew across Ollie's face as Nick became jittery. "Why so hesitate?"

"Well if she isn't playing she ca"

"Just show the fucking card all ready. My breaks almost over" The captain growled. Nick flipped the card revealing a King of hearts and now he had to pick up the very large card pile.

Ollie turned to Sasha with a look of wonderment in his blood red eyes "How did you do that?" the leopardess just winked at him with a very satisfied smirk on her face. "Well one things certain foxy isn't winning any more" The Koala sang to Nicks face as the fox griped and glared at the feline.

Riley was chuckling as he stood and placed his helmet on his head. "I better get going. Good luck Private Wilde"

Leroy's eyes then lit up making Nick gulp as he was sure he knew what he was going to say "Care to join us Sasha?" She answered by walking over and planting herself in the captains chair as the lion left to head back to his command post. Nick's mind filled with one word.

Shit


	13. Chapter 12: Death isn't cruel

Chapter 12: Deaths not cruel….

There are many things ordinary people can imagine about war, the sights and sounds for example. But others you would have to experience them first paw.

The smell of death that floated through the streets as Nick and the others made their way down the dirt street was one of them. They were part of a 200 strong force tasked with capturing Mogadishu stadium, The main supply dump for the defenders. If it fell they would be starved of ammunition, food, water and medical supplies and they knew this as much as the attackers having already repelled 3 separate attempts to seize it. The remains of those failed attempts now littered the street leading to the stadium. Shattered bodies littered the street in varying levels of dismemberment and decay. Some still looked liked mammals, while others were completely unrecognisable as anything more than piles of fur and bones. Some foamed at the mouth testament to the lengths both sides had sunk too in an effort to win.

The sights and smells had stopped bothering Nick now. At first he'd felt the urge to throw up at the putrid smells and nightmare fuel, but now he just ignored them. The smells didn't even register any more as they were just constantly in the air by now. Ollie had compared them to the weather they were something you just had to get used to. He did feel the urge to stop and stare from time to time out of some sense of morbid curiosity that he didn't really understand.

This part of the city looked more like the moon that a capital. Craters big enough to fit a London bus in, ruptured gas lines and electrical cables protruding from the sides. The buildings were little more than exterior walls jutting out of the earth by this point having succumbed to the power of modern war. The smoke rose into the sky from the burning remains of buildings and a tank that had been ambushed three days before. It was the silent witness to the desperate struggle that had waged here. The previous attacks had managed to push most of the defenders out of the buildings around the stadium but this had only been achieved through the liberal use of artillery and air support.

All this for a fucking stadium.

The absurdity of it wasn't lost on Nick as they moved forward. He'd spent many hours at Zootopia's different stadiums, his particular favourite being ravens-head, loving the atmosphere that only a stadium could produce. All manner of different species all in one place and mostly there to watch what ever was being played that day, but for Nick the location had also provided rich pickings for his scams. Now though he was going to experience a very different atmosphere.

As they past the tank, with its crew laying on the ground around it, the stadium came into view. It was a simple building similar in design to the Roman coliseum only made out of concrete…and with the odd hole blasted in to it. The air force and artillery had been forbidden from dropping ordnance on the stadium itself for obvious reasons, the idea of all the munitions inside detonating at the same time made even the most hardened amongst them to get jittery and was the same reason why they weren't using flame throwers.

A small number of scouts were up front on what was known as the cannery posting. Their job was to find were the enemy were hiding…by getting shot at. The high risk of this posting meant that it was usually given to the new replacements in a move that was seen as callus even by those giving the order. But it meant that those who were more experienced and skilled weren't thrown away and It also served as a method to weed out those not suited to the demands that would be made of them. Described as a sort of survival of the fittest but with more explosions.

Today was different though as due to losses Ollie had been pressed into the role of cannery. With him and a small number of other mammals at the front, the shock troops followed just behind who in turn were followed by everyone else. Nick was one of the pawful of medics with the second group and was currently the filling in a John, Sasha sandwich with the wolf at the front. Meanwhile Jazz had set her sniper rifle up by the burned out tank as it was one of the few pieces of cover left standing.

Next to her the heavies set up two 75mm pack howitzers, small artillery that could be broken down and carried on the back of its crew. As they were banned from using flame throwers or calling in fire support they'd brought their own.

They were passed the tank that marked the furthest any of the other attacks had gotten. From now on it was into the unknown. The wind blew sporadically picking up dust from the streets and blowing it into the faces of the mammals. But they didn't care as their nerves began to play up. Movement to their left had half of them darting the muzzles of their rifles down the remains of a side street.

A terrified ram instantly stood ramrod straight with his hoofs as high in the air as he could get them. He was shirtless exposing the wool that covered his body as slightly singed and blackened with soot. His lower half was covered by a pair of badly damaged jeans that had one leg missing showing a deep, unbandaged gash across his thigh. He was visibly shaking and a puddle was rapidly growing beneath him, an understandable reaction given the circumstances.

The column breathed a collective sigh before continuing towards their target. The ram though stayed frozen in place. It wasn't until John nodded back down the road that they'd come that he began sprinting back down the street. He may have been a civilian but armed mammals moving towards the stadium only meant trouble. He'd just have to come back later to scavenge rations from the dead.

With the caletaral damage gone John could get back to work. He had to get a platoon of mammals out of the dead ground outside the stadium as quickly as possible while the other platoon would provide covering fire. Simple on paper, not so much in practice.

A small rise in the road obscured the view down the street but as the canaries crested it Ollie's paw shot up, fist clenched. They all stopped, waiting for Ollie to continue with a series of paw signals that had the replacements looking at each other in confusion. Nick was among the confused. He may have been part of the unit for several months now but he still had alot more to learn. John however understood perfectly that there was a machine gun nest with 4 mammals manning it just ahead of them. Ollie's signals continued to the other side of the road and repeated the previous signal.

John made an O shape with his thumb and index finger telling the corporal he understood before looking back. "Lance Corporal Pollux, take private Curtis and Garcia to deal with the left nest. Corporal Nixon, take Lopez and Albo and do the same to the right nest." He kept his voice low and quiet, but firm and commanding. The six mammals, two rabbits, a tapir and three deer moved off left and right. The rest of the group waited and scanned.

Nick pulled out his pistol and checked the magazine for what was probably the thousandths time. He'd found the weapon four days earlier on one of the many bodies in the street. It was a 1911 colt pistol and appeared to have been chard with most of the metal blackened, the upper receiver and plastic grips had multiple chips across their surface. He'd been reluctant to take it to begin with, partly because he wasn't sure it would still work but mostly because it didn't feel right to steal from the dead. As he'd gone to place the gun back where he'd found it Ollie had come over and said " _take it, he wont need it anymore"_ Nick had looked over his shoulder at the koala. He didn't know why, perhaps he had been searching for remorse or empathy for the dead mammal beneath them. But he hadn't found any and Nick knew why. The experienced members seemed to be able to turn off those emotions when in a combat zone as they had no place here.

Nick had also found three magazines for it in similar condition and that night he had asked John to inspect the weapon and make sure it was still serviceable. The wolf made light work of the inspection and found that although it looked badly damaged the internal components just needed a little grease. He'd then talked Nick through how to service the gun. The next few days had seen Jazz teaching Nick how to use it effectively and the fox had taken to calling the gun smokey.

He hoped he'd never need to use it but better safe than sorry. A sequence of intense detonations returned him to the present and he returned smokey to its holster. Max signalled that the MG's were gone. They advanced again but this was too easy. Nick had a feeling that something was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on what it was but something didn't feel right and one look at John told him the wolf had the same feeling.

It was then that his eyes shot to the size of space hoppers. Nick looked forward to try and figure out what he had spotted…but came up empty pawed. The wolf ordered the everyone to stop by lifting his paw in the same manner as Max. The canneries though were in front and didn't see the signal.

Passing one of the buildings in better condition (that just meant it still had four outer walls) Ollie's foot caught something. Nick kept watching trying to see what was happening. Ollie looked down to inspect what he'd stepped on.

The Koala's gaze slowly lifted to a gap in the wall next to him.

A blinding flash and ear drum bursting bang followed, kicking up dust and the scout group throwing them across the street. Bricks and debris followed along with limbs all flying off in different directions as the last few standing walls and cannery squad disappeared.


	14. Chapter 13: Just good at his job

Chapter 13:…Just good at his job

Ollie could still be alive…

It was a forlorn hope but just as long as there was a chance Nick had to check, needed to check. John was giving orders to the rest of the platoon though exactly what they were the Fox could hear. Mostly due to the withering fire that had erupted from the stadium. The grenade blasts may have gone unnoticed by the garrison but that massive booby trap Ollie had triggered got their attention. The tell tail crack of Jazz's sniper rifle rose from behind him, dwarfed by the deep boom of the howitzers and the chatter of machine guns.

None of it reached Nicks brain, he had a job to do.

Captain Riley had taken personal command of the artillery, standing behind the howitzers he bellowed "Elevate 2 degrees!" The howitzers clicked twice as the barrels were lifted. "Right 1 degree, FIRE!" the two guns burst into life once more sending high explosives directly into a firing position on the side of the stadium. "Don't just stand there you ninnies, SHOOT!" Second platoon open up with everything they had. They fired at anything that moved and at any muzzle flash they could see.

The first platoon charged forward running from shell hole to shell hole. All the while mortars ripped the ground around them and tracers flew from behind and in front. The air buzzed with white hot steel and the familiar screams as mammals were hit. John wanted nothing more than to be at the front of the charge. He was a leader and a leader faces danger with those they command but they also have a duty to not take any stupid risks. He also had an injured snow leopard to deal with. Sasha had taken a flying brick to the face, although still conscious she was disorientated wandering aimlessly as bullets whizzed past. Her broken jaw and cheek had blood pouring down her face as she attempted to regain her bearings.

John grabbed her armour and threw her to the ground behind a line of sand bags. "MEDIC!" No sooner had he called had a bunny scrambled up and began inspecting the leopards broken face. With Sasha in safe paws John returned his attention to the stadium. With one last glance at his friend he picked up his machine gun and ran to forward to press the attack.

As Nick reached the remains of the canaries the true nature of what had happened became clear. The 5 mammals lay there in a pool of their collective blood. Various organs such as livers and kidneys scattered among them. One of them was little more than a pile of fur as his skeleton had been turned to dust. In the Middle of all this was Ollie. The koala's shattered body had been blown in half, his intestines spilling from the top half. He lay face down and the back of his skull had been caved in when he impacted the wall he now lay against. If the blast hadn't killed him the impact had.

Nick was numb. His friend was lying in a pool of blood, killed in a disgusting and cowardly manner. He'd had no chance to defend himself to go down fighting. He'd been blown to pieces without mercy or a second thought. Nicks paws clenched into fists so tight he drew blood from their palms. Tears blurred his vision as he reached for Smokey. Someone was going to pay for this.

The fox made for the objective pistol in paw and Ignoring the chaos around him. His blood was up. It boiled in his veins, pumped around by a heart turned to stone and infected by vengeance. He didn't care about the danger, nor the wounded or the dying. He wanted blood. And he was going to get it.

Johns dash finally brought him to the front of the assault, pushed up against one of the entrances. A hale of bullets flew passed from within as the wolf used a piece of broken glass to peer round the corner. The passage was large enough to get a truck in and led straight on to the pitch with in. John looked around seeing how many of the others had made it. He counted 20….out of 100. _'This is going to be tricky'._ He searched for a weakness, something to crack open their defences and then he saw it.

The inside the stadium was little more than a bowl with three entrances that led out into the surrounding streets. All their defences, fire points and guns pointed out leaving their backs exposed to any one you got onto the pitch. "RODRIGUEZ!" A maned wolf on the opposite side of the opening turned his attention to John. "GET YOUR MAMMALS AND FOLLOW ME!" After lobbing grenades into the passage the two groups moved into the interior. The grass pitch itself was gone replaced by piles of munitions, fuel and rations with a makeshift helipad at one end. The defenders, standing on the top level of seats, made perfect targets silhouetted against the sky. The 20 mammals simply emerged from the entrance, set themselves up behind the piles of rations and took aim.

Corporal Patel just could help himself though as the enemy continued to exchange fire with the second platoon, oblivious to the firing squad behind them. He let out a long whistle to get their attention and taunted "OVER HERE!" Several mammals on the wall spun round, the shock and dismay obvious to all. "FIRE!" The word wasn't even fully out of the wolf mouth before the shooting started. They had no where to go. No where to hide and the Nighthowlers were not in a merciful mood. Soon bullet ridden corpses came tumbling down the seats. Some dropped their weapons and were somehow able to avoid the execution making their way to one of the exits as the sound of gun fire echoed around the giant bowel deafening all within. After little more than a minute the firing stopped and quiet returned to the stadium.

They surveyed the seen before them. Bodies filled with bullet holes and blood poring down the steps in to the ditches at the bottom of the stands. "Private Xanders"

A fennec fox stepped up "Sergeant"

"Get a message back to the Captain. Tell him we've taken the stadium and to get the rest of the company up here" The fox turned and began to run towards the exit but John did a double take. And his eyes narrowed "Where's your rifle Private?" he sounded composed as he spoke despite his heavy breathing. The gravelled, spooky calm voice made the fennec freeze and curse under his breath.

"I-I lost it Sergeant" He squeaked to which the others laughed.

John waited a moment as Xanders slowly turned to face him. The fennec was new to the unit and this had been his first combat mission. John hadn't come across many fennics before and was eager to see what the little fox could do. So far he wasn't impressed. John took a prolonged drag from a new cigarette as the Private shifted from one foot to the other before him. "Well you'd better find a new one. Your gonna need it"

"Yes Sergeant" He was already moving as he spoke which drew another round of giggles.

"This brings a hole new meaning to the term pitch invasion" The collective groaning of the other mammals just made him grin "Alright lads you know the drill, set up ready for a counter attack. And lets not make the same mistake this lot did" he ordered pointing to the fresh bodies in the stands. John then turned and muttered "I have a pair of foxes and a snow leopard to find" as the others began preparing.

Meanwhile

Nick was nearing the stadium. Mortars and bullets still Shredded the dirt around him. His heart thundered as his primitive, animalistic instincts began to take over. Peering through the kicked up dust and debris he saw the howitzers firing, flames exploding from the gun barrels. Jazz was no where to be seen but that wasn't too surprising, she was a sniper. Turning forward again he spied John as he and the others entered the stadium. They were no more than 50 yards away but it may as well have been a marathon. A marathon were the spectators were trying to kill you. Still the fire in Nick hadn't died down, if anything it had grown more intense. The sight of more dead mammals together with the fresh image of Ollie in pieces were driving him on.

He hadn't noticed but he had began to run again, pistol in paw, as the that damn voice taunted him. ' _Rape'_ It repeated over and over and it pushed him over the edge. The undeveloped, primeval part of his brain was now dictating his actions. So he didn't even notice when he made it to the entrance John and the others had gone in. He sniffed at the air and attempted to listen for a victim. His ears however were assaulted by the sound of protracted gun fire from with in the stadium. It sounded like an entire squad firing at once with the unmistakable sound of Johns MG rising above the M16's and AK 47's.

His rational civilised mind was on the brink of reasserting itself. The voice seemed intent on on keeping it in its box however. ' _You know you enjoy this. Let go, I got this'_ It waswas true he did enjoy this. All his fear and doubt was gone. He no longer had to fight himself and the sense of power, It almost had him laughing like an villain from those Saturday morning cartoons he used to watch.

An arctic fox came sprinting out the stadium. She was terrified. Her friends were being gunned down and by a bunch of psychopaths. She had heard the stories about penal battalions, the once where they killed and ate their victims. The once that told of them being rapists and mass murderers. She hadn't believed them at first but this was the second time her friends had been killed without mercy or pity. Tears began to build in her eyes obscuring her sight. Her thoughts and fear combined to blind her to the fox standing in front of her…until she ran straight into the back of him. They both fell to the dirt and as she turned she was slightly relieved to see the fox wearing a medics uniform. That relief as short lived however when she looked into his emerald eyes.

Nick scrambled to his feet, pistol still in paw. Blue topaz locked with green emerald as Nick raised smokey. It was like a rerun of the night at the bridge except the rolls were switched. Nick was now the one who held another mammals life in his paws. Had someone grovelling for mercy at HIM for once. And he loved it, the power, the control and above all the taste of retribution would be oh so sweet. The arctic vixen sat there frozen in place, her eyes wide and breath shallow. Her head was the only thing moving as she shook it slightly from side to side. Her paws clenched digging her claws into her palms as her mouth dried.

Nick was about to pull the trigger as his rational mind screamed and begged from its cage. His finger slowly moved the trigger back till he hit resistance ' _just a little bit more Nick'._


	15. Chapter 14: Monster within

Chapter 14: Monster with in

Nick was about to pull the trigger as his rational mind screamed and begged from its cage. His finger slowly moved the trigger back till he hit resistance ' _just a little bit more Nick'._

The vixen lay there starring down the barrel. This is what she got for not being prepared to kill another mammal. The foxes eyes were a light with righteous anger as if a literal fire had been set behind them making the emerald colour ever richer. The wind picked up the sand and dirt, making them flow around the two foxes like water. Then the gun began shaking as a wolf appeared behind the fox.

Time slowed as Nick savoured the feeling. The feeling of absolute power. For once he was dictating terms and not someone else. For once he was in control. Or so he thought but Nicks rational mind was screaming bloody murder from its cell. ' _Really wish he'd shut up already don't you?_ ' The inner animal was in reality the one in charge but it was having trouble keeping it that way. The two battle for control inside the fox's mind. A continues and deafening argument was all he could focus on. He didn't notice the second platoon filling into the stadium behind him all passing glances in his direction.

Then as if Nicks mind wasn't confused enough his mother butted into the conversation ' _Put down the gun Nick'_ Her soothing and nurturing voice helped calm him slightly, allowing his civilised mind to start prying open the door of its confinement. The animal didn't like that. ' _You stay in there and SHUT UP!. Think of all the killing she has committed and helped. Make her pay, we all reap what we sow after all'_ It sounded sickly sweet like Nick knew it was going to come back and bite him later. _'That cuts both ways you know'_

He sucked in a breath, steadying his gun. He refused to look her in the eye, in stead focusing on the centre of the vixens chest. "Nick" the voice this time didn't come from inside his head this time, it came from behind him. It forced him to stop and think. It was the opening his mind had been waiting for. His sanity finally returned throwing open the door to it cage and regaining control. His heart slowed and he could breath once more as he blinked the world back into focus. He lowered his weapon. The vixen visibly relaxed as she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. A paw gently landed on Nicks shoulder and he finally realised who had been talking to him. It wasn't his mother, no it was that battle hardened, secretive wolf again.

' _NOOOOOOO'_ The animal screamed as another image of Ollie flashed in his head. In an instant his blood boiled, his heart nearly shot out of his chest and the gun flew up again to point at the vixens head. John seeing what was happening dug his claws into Nicks shoulder through his uniform and pulled down…hard. The fox failed to notice the claws ripping through his flesh and without hesitation Nick squeezed the trigger. A single bullet exploded from the muzzle of the gun heading straight for the vixen.

The vixen had thrown her arms in front of her face when she'd seen the gun rise. She heard the gun shot. Then felt the intense burning pain as the bullet hit home. It passed through her left arm just bellow the elbow, shattering the bone on impact, before smashing its way through her shoulder and lodging itself in the dirt behind her. She didn't see, nor did she care, what the wolf and fox were doing. She instead rolled onto her side, curled up and let out a high pitch shriek.

Nick was pulled down and slammed face first into the dirt. He struggled, his anger still running rampant but there was noway he was going to get up again unless John let him. The Sergeants boot was pressed firmly into the back of Nicks neck his superior size and strength making it easy to keep control. The fox came to this conclusion and finally relaxed. ' _Doesn't that feel better Nick?'_ The animal askedin an unbelievably condescending voice. Nick looked in on himself. Trying to see if it was worth it, how did he feel?. He felt the pressure on his neck lessen just enough for him to look over at his victim. She lay there sobbing quietly as her blood began flow from under her contaminating the sand. That answered his question.

So many emotions flew through his mind that it dazed him. He mouth moved but nothing came out. He didn't really know how he felt though he was sure of one thing. He did not enjoy it and he did not feel better. He felt a thousand times worse.

For his part John was reconsidering in actions from the restaurant. He'd let her go thinking she'd run out of the city not further into this hell hole. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. John finally removed his boot from Nicks neck now the fox seemed to be himself again. As the wolf approached the vixen he pulled a fox sized morphine pouch from his pocket and knelt down beside the injured mammal. She tried to move away but her demolished shoulder made it impossible to move. Instead she stayed there silently crying as she stared up at the larger mammal through blurry eyes.

She didn't know what to expect from the wolf but when he pulled out a pouch with a needle sticking out of it she expected the worse. She didn't know English and couldn't crawl away. Instead she screwed her eye shut and shook her head as quickly as she could. But she stopped when he spoke in a deep, caring voice "Morphine". She may not have been able to speak English but curtain words were shared or at least well known enough that she knew what he meant. He didn't wait for her to nod or answer, instead he gently pushed the needle into a vain on her undamaged arm. She only had to wait for a brief moment before sweet relief washed over her and the world went a little…bouncy.

Nick stayed on his knees watching as the sergeant tended to the vixen. He hadn't had a proper look at her in his rage. But now he actually saw her she reminded him of the mammal who had attempted to kill him in Russia. She looked normal, like any mammal he'd see on the street. Like any mammal who he would con. "Wilde get over here" John's firm voice broke him from his trance.

The wolf wanted him to help? Why would she let him? "B-b-but"

John looked over his shoulder, a flash of anger appearing in his eyes. "You wanna fix this?" Nick slowly nodded "Then get off your arse and fix it" It was an order not a suggestion and it spurred Nick to action. He picked himself up and moved to stand next to Blackwell. But when the vixen saw him she panicked. She attempted to move again but a torturous pain from he shoulder stopped her. Nick made to move to her again. Again she tried to move away. The wolf was about to tell Nick to talk him through treating her.

"Sergeant Blackwell!" The Scottish captains bellow prevented the pair from any further attempts. The lion had been watching from afar when a radio mammal had come to him. John grabbed two bandages from Nick and despite the groans and pained gasps from the vixen applied a temporary dressing to the wounds. A pair of stretcher bearers then arrived and carried the vixen into the stadium allowing the medic and sergeant to see what the captain needed to tell them.

Nick and Johns knees and paws were now covered in fresh blood and dirt. For the fox the blood was a bright red reminder of the level he had sunk too. He had seen several incidents were soldiers had taken the law into their own paws. He'd managed to convince himself that he would never do it, he'd never execute anyone…but he had just come mere inches from doing it. "I'm a monster"

"Captain Riley." John addressed with a leisurely salute.

"Intelligence has identified large numbers of hostiles moving on the stadium. The rest of the battalion is moving to reinforce us but it will take time." The captain disclosed in an orderly fashion.

John lit his forth cigarette of the day, it wasn't even lunch yet "so hold until relieved?" he asked rhetorically to which Riley nodded.

Nick who had been only half listening muttered "Why do we always get the shittiest jobs?"

The lion and wolf gave him a dead pan look. "Because high command loves us" The lion added. "Sergeant get you platoon and prepare your defences."

"Sir" the wolf nodded then walked towards the entrance.

As the wolf and fox approached the entrance once more and thought came to Nick "John. Why did you stop me?" It wasn't the first time Nick had seen John step in and stop such an incident. Come to think of it the wolf had prevented looting, murder and rape by his soldiers where ever he could.

John stopped and slowly turned to him before answering with a fatherly voice and firmness in his eyes. "Just because the world sees us as monsters doesn't mean we have to act like monsters" He didn't wait for a response before walking off leaving Nick standing there.


	16. Chapter 15: Under Siege

Chapter 15: Under Siege

Intel was right. A very large number of hostile troops had first cut in behind the Nighthowlers in the stadium and then launching repeated attacks. However they were driven off with little difficulty due to poor organisation. They would always attack from one direction and would always give themselves away, warning Riley and the others they were coming by shouting and taunting. Their encirclement wasn't that strong either as during the night the other 2 companies of the 16th, as well as several med-evac choppers, were able to push through to the defenders bringing the total number of those inside to 300. They were able to reveal why the attacks were so poorly directed.

These were the local militia, large in number, fierce in combat but badly led and equipped. Most didn't even have uniforms or any military training but they did have dedication. They were fighting for there homes and as such they would cling to positions or counter attack with such bravery that it bordered on fanaticism. The next day however things changed as the militia was joined by the regular army and fell under its command. The trap behind Nighthowlers closed properly as RPG and stinger missile teams were set up on roof tops and in the rubble around the stadium making it a no fly zone. This was found out the hard way when a med-evac helicopter was shot down just after take off killing all on board. This meant no more helos in or out leaving one helicopter and its crew trapped. The stadium also had no cover from the sun inside forcing them to endure the 40 degree heat. Still wasn't all bad.

They had captured tonnes of supplies, literally. It was mostly small arms ammunition with millions of rounds for pistols, rifles and machine guns of all calibres. There was also large numbers of mines, grenades, mortar bombs and anti-tank rockets, as well as weeks of rations and medical supplies. They'd even been able to find a football and most importantly for John cigarettes and tea bags. Put simply they weren't going to run out of supplies any time soon though the fact they were sitting on such a large amount of munitions did make some nervous however.

As for the wounded the med-evac helicopters that did make it in and out again had only taken the most seriously wounded out. Sasha's broken jaw and cheek bones where not considered bad enough and it was the same story for the vixen Nick had tried to kill. John and the others had taken to calling her Miss Winters on account of her fur coat and the fact they didn't know her name. Her injury was painful due to the shattered arm bone and shoulder blade yet despite this it wasn't life threatening. The bullet had somehow managed to miss all the vital blood vessels in that area meaning that once the initial bleeding was taken care of it was a case of stitching her up and keeping the wound clean. Any further work would need to be done in a hospital. She may still lose her arm, even if she didn't it would never heal fully, but she stood a good chance of surviving.

Sasha's injuries had made it impossible for her to eat and she was on a daily dose of morphine. So she wouldn't starve she had to eat a special soup made from their rations that was colourfully known as 'devils piss' due to its abominable taste. She was also expected to fight though it was extremely difficult when she couldn't shoulder a weapon due to her right cheek bone being in pieces, and yet she still managed it. Her shattered face though excruciating and bloody didn't stop her using her RPG to bring down buildings and destroy enemy vehicles.

The attacks, although stronger and more organised didn't happen as often meaning that they had extended periods of down time for the first time in months. They spent this free time playing music at very high volumes to annoy their attackers, cleaning kit, playing with the ball they'd found and chatting. For Nick and the others though the first night they had a small service for Ollie, who's body still lay where he fell. It was a difficult moment for all, even John seemed…different during the service. Once it was over though they all switched back to their usual selves. All except for Nick.

Nicks Nightmare had come back with a vengeance though there was a difference this time. Ollie was present. He would be laying on the ground, his lower half missing. He would be blaming Nick for what happened and Nick would be held down by that force on his neck…A force that had began to feel like a boot. The tell tail feel of rubber on fur was unmistakable but it was just a feeling. There was never anything he could physically see holding him down. It wasn't every night but it was enough of them and coupled with the habit the enemy had of attacking at night had led to a disrupted sleep pattern. There was also the fact that John had insisted that he be the one to treat the injured vixen who he'd shot.

Nick hated it. Hated it with a passion and hated himself. The first few times he'd tried she'd been scared, watching wide eyed as he went about his job as quickly as possible. The fact that he would work so fast that he accidentally stabbed himself once or twice, all the while avoiding eye contact, hadn't gone unnoticed. As a result she was now letting Nick know exactly what she thought of him. She would always looked detested when she saw him. One time she had actually growled while baring her teeth…she'd stopped very quickly when John looked over his shoulder though.

And today was no different. "Alright miss Winters hold still" Nicks nervousness was obvious as he knelt down by the vixen who continued to give him a look that could stop an entire tank division in its tracks. Nick swallowed his throat dry all of a sudden. He hated that look. It was the daily reminder of the level he'd dropped to. The reminder that he wasn't just the fox everyone saw him as but so much worse. He quickly plied her with morphine and waited a few seconds for it to take effect. Her shoulders visibly relaxed in time with the disappearance of the pain but her hated gaze remained unaffected. Nick pulled his knife from its belt, he'd learnt quickly that it was easier and quicker for him and the vixen to just cut the dressing off rather than untie it. With the old bandage gone he could see that the stitches where still intact. He gave the wound a light feel to see if the damage had gotten any worse much to the vixens displeasure.

Her eyes never left him as he worked. He didn't look up to check but he could feel them burning a hole into the side of his head. Even when she swore as he inspected her shoulder they still didn't leave him. "Sorry sorry!" he hastily add letting go. She spat out a few words that Nick couldn't understand and to be honest didn't want to. Satisfied that everything was as he had left it yesterday Nick applied the fresh dressing tying the sling off in a bow. This made the vixen look a bit confused to which Nick just shrugged. The days had developed a routine that was starting to get boring to the fox so anything he could do to mix it up a bit was welcome.

Meanwhile

Up on the wall of the stadium John, Jazz and Sasha were having breakfast. Sasha chose to stay close to her squad mates due to the fact that for the foreseeable future she'd be relying on body language and mime to communicate. They knew her best and were used to her being silent anyway. John was eating and looking through a periscope set up on the wall whilst Jazz was sat next to Sasha helping her eat. Jazz was in a funny mood however.

"Here comes the air plane" She sang whilst Sasha gave her a slightly impaired death glare. She continued singing an obnoxious sound of an aeroplane as she moved the mess tin closer to the leopardess with a bright yellow straw hanging over the side.

As Sasha went for the straw though Jazz pulled the tin back and out of reach. This was repeated several times until Sasha snatched the tin from the vixens much smaller paws before slapping said vixen on the back of the head knocking her cap askew. "OW. John Sasha hit me!" she whined like a small child pushing her bottom lip out for added effect.

"Play nice you two" his tone was exasperated and his eyes never left their place in the periscope making Jazz's lip sticking rather pointless. He was scanning the roofs for any stinger teams as if they could eliminate a few then they'd have a window to get some of the wounded out. Seeing the wolf wasn't looking Jazz straightened her cap and turned back to Sasha, batting at the leopardess's ear enjoying the way it would try and flick her paw away. After that she tickled her arm pit, snaking her paw up under Sasha's arm and pushing the fur back before wiggling her finger on the sensitive skin. This caused Sasha to laugh, which in turn made he jaw move. The pain kills did little to the nauseating pain that shot through her skull making her drop the tin. Her liquid breakfast ended up dripping down the stands as she clenched her paws, trying desperately to not grab her face.

Jazz watched as Sasha's liquid breakfast dripped down the stands towards the pitch, a feeling of guilt and fear filled her as she slowly turned to Sasha. "Oops" she swallowed nervously waiting for the punch that was surly soon to come. But Sasha didn't punch her, to focused on the throbbing from her face and stomach to worry about the vixen. "Sorry?" she said in a meek voice raising her paws in surrender.

"Nice of you to volunteer your breakfast Jazz." John had heard the pained growl from Sasha and had turned just in time to see the mess tin hit the floor. Jazz lowered her ears in shame and picked up her own tin. By the time she got back with some more 'devils piss' Nick had joined the others and had just finished inspecting Sasha's face. The vixen gingerly handed the tin over, no punch. She sat down, stino punch. John and Nick smirked at each other.

Jazz grew curious. "Wha-" she didn't even finish her sentence before Sasha's large paw slammed into her shoulder knocking her over. A small whine escaped her as she rubbed the now very sore and sensitive spot. "I deserve that"

John chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Now they are. So Nick what do think of Hopps?"

"Who?" Truth be told Nick hadn't really been paying alot of attention recently. His mind had been too….distracted.

John took another swig of tea making a pleased noise. "Umm nectar of the gods. You know, the pilot of the whirley bird." Flight lieutenant Jackie Hopps was the pilot of the helicopter currently stranded in the stadium. It had been a bit of a surprise when the bunny had climbed out of the pilots seat of the helicopter. Though that was nothing compared to when Jenkins had asked where the real pilot was.

Nick pondered for a moment. "Oh, oh yeah. Bit surprising I didn't think they let rabbits be pilots" It was true, rabbits were one of the species exempt from military service on account of their natural stature and heritage. Though the 16th had its fair share of buck toothed soldiers they were only supposed to be cannon fodder so those factors didn't seem to matter to much.

Johns eyebrow rose slightly and so did a fresh shit eating grin. "uh huh. Must be something special and she's easy on the eye as well" Nick had to give him that. Her fur was very light, almost tan brown with white mixed in forming a scatter shot pattern. The tip of her ears were coloured black and her eyes were a rich, chocolaty brown but what got most of the males attention were her curves. She'd certainly gotten a few tongues wagging, along with pulses racing among the bucks and a few of the none lapin members of the Nighthowlers.

Not that Nick was gonna admit it to anyone. "If you like that sort of thing" he sidestepped while avoiding eye contact.

Not put off by the fox's dodge John continued. "Soooooo you do find bunnies attractive"

"I never said that"

"Not hearing a no"

The fox remained silent whilst taking a slurp of water.

Johns grin threatened to split his face as he chuckled "Ok Wilde your not interested doesn't bother me. Just means there's less competition."

Nick began choking on his drink. "Y-you'd…."

"tap dat?" the wolf finished, smiling "Abso-fucking-lutely."

Nick just stared at him as his mind, and mouth, went to the obvious. "How? You'd never be able to fit" He admonished.

Johns eye lids dropped half way "You flatter me." he flirted.

The fox slapped his fore head and groaned "Seriously though"

John contemplated for a moment stroking his chin. "Not sure, be fun finding out though." He answered with the grin of a child in a sweet shop. He looked over the medics head and saw Jazz and Sasha shaking their heads "What?"

"Males" was all Jazz said in a slightly fond tone. John was about to respond when his phone rang, Nick didn't even realise he had one. After plucking the device from his bag, along with a note pad and pen, the wolf stood "Be good while I'm gone" before proceeding to walk out of ear shot.

"Yes dad" the two fox's called after in unison.

"Cyrus?" he queried.

"John" The synthesised voice responded.

"You find anything?"

"Yes and No" John pulled up his note pad. "I found the accusers name: Miss Daniela Furson."

"As in the daughter of Jacob Furson, the founder of Furson's bank?" John spelled out, his eye brow rising.

"The very same" Furson's bank had started out small in Zootopia before John was born. It had exploded after war broke out becoming one of the major banks in the world with branches in London, Paris, Berlin even Moscow, making Jacob and his family extremely wealthy in the process. An impressive achievement for a family of fox's.

"Ok. What else?" He had a name and had a funny feeling he knew where this was going.

"Victim was found tied to a bed at the Puffin brothers hotel at 03:00 hours on Sunday the 16th of October 2011. Main suspect: the victims boyfriend, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, fox." The robotic voice listed off from the file…or notes John didn't know.

John took a moment to jot down the information "Anything else?" He requested.

"no"

John looked up his brow wrinkling in confusion at the curt reply. "What?"

"There's nothing else John, not even a witness statement in this file. Only those involved, the place, time and date and a conviction. There's no evidence of an investigation or even a trial." John was stupefied by what he was hearing and, even though his voice was masked by the synthesiser, John could tell so was Cyrus. Didn't stop him from being Cyrus though "Anything else? I got stuff to do"

The robotic voice snapped the sergeant from his thoughts as his mind was already ticking over at a furious but methodical rate. "Not unless you find anything else. Thanks mate I appreciate this" Although formal and business like his voice still carried the warmth required so Cyrus knew he was genuinely grateful.

There was a slight pause "No worries". A beep from his phone told him the mysterious mammal had hung up.

John removed the phone from his ear and stared at the device for a second before a brief chuckle rumbled from his chest. "Not used to thanks Cyrus?" He mocked at the phone. His mind however quickly reverted to what he had just learnt. Nick had been convicted and sent to what was regarded by many to be curtain death, with out any record of an investigation or trial. The lack of trial tallied with Nick being oblivious to the nature of his conviction but the investigation? It either meant there had been the mother of all fuck ups at record keeping…which was possible he reasoned, or something under pawed was going on. Johns sense of smell was still pretty good despite everything and he could smell a rat.


	17. Chapter 16: Elsewhere in the world

Chapter 16: Else where in the world

Bunny burrow was a small town roughly a days drive outside Zootopia. It was small and relied mainly on farming for its economy, farming that was based mainly around one specific vegetable which was just as well because it was the favourite food of the majority of the inhabitants. As the name suggested the majority of residence were rabbits, alot of rabbits…no seriously they'd lost count. The small and sleepy town, surrounded by miles and miles of picturesque farmland, was typical of this part of America.

It was insulated for the most part from the troubles of the wider world. The war was happening thousands of miles away and because rabbits were excluded from the draft very few members of the community noticed anything was off. There we're only a few give-aways that the world was at war. One being that the demand for produce had shot through the roof to supply the armed forces and this had also encouraged the farmers to branch out and try different vegetables. The other was the troop trains that sped through the countryside towards ports and then on to where ever they went. Then the medical trains that would come back in the opposite direction headed for military hospitals and these trains would also carry those going home on leave.

It wasn't just safe, it was thriving however not everyone was happy to just sit and watch the world go by. Judith Hopps had always been one of the stranger members of her family and that no small feet given there were over 150 of them. And growing. She always found life in the tri-burrows dull with a predictable routine and a serious lack of things to do. The main past times were drinking and well fucking, which come to think of it did explain the large population. It drove the lavender eyed, graphite coloured doe mad because unlike almost everyone else she wanted adventure and excitement. But most of all she wanted to help and protect people who needed it though that said she had no intention of fighting on the front lines of the war…or getting anywhere near them either. Her sister Jackie had that covered and although it did look exciting that level of violence and blood shed was a bit much for Judy to stomach.

No she had her own dream to follow one that had her wearing a golden badge on her chest and came with oath to serve and protect. She had always wanted to be a big city cop and regardless of what was happening in the world at large there would still be a need for police officers. Now if only she could get the rest of the world to give her the chance to prove herself….She hadn't applied to the Zootopia police department yet she still had preparation to do and there was the added complication that they didn't accept rabbits. Her parents were also resistant to the idea more so than usual, thanks to Jackie.

Jackie had only made her intentions known after she boarded a train and went of to boot camp. The argument that had ensued would surly go down in history as you could hear it even in the deepest reaches of the burrow. As a result Judy's parents were keeping an even closer eye on her should she get any funny ideas. They weren't actively trying to stop her but were trying really damn hard to persuade her otherwise. ' _Cheese and crackers Jackie! Why did you have to fluff things up so badly?'_ she grumbled internally while making her way home from the stand. Humid air surrounded her as she walked home under a mid-day sun. She'd been able to get Monday and Thursday afternoon as well as Sunday off to prepare for the ZPD academy, when ever she got there.

A buzzing coming from her back pocket had her reaching for her phone. Seeing the caller ID was none other than Jackie she sighed, pressed accept and waited a second while her muzzle time loaded. "Hey Jax" she tried to sound glad to see her but truth be told Judy was still irritated after her sisters stunt.

Something Jackie caught "Nice to see you too Jude" she said slightly annoyed herself. She was in what looked like a stadium with the sun setting behind the stands setting the sky alight as the clouds and light danced around one another. With her, admittedly weak, ruse foiled Judy's faux smile fell as she sighed again. "Still mad" it was more a statement than a question.

"Not mad just…annoyed" she replied exasperated. "Mom and dad haven't left me alone since you left and without you here…." she trailed off. Judy and Jackie had always been the odd pair of the family. Where most were content to follow in the footsteps of their parents Judy and Jackie had wanted more and this led their bond to be stronger than most.

Jackie winced. She knew her parents would take what she did badly and that Judy would be left in the cross hairs without her support. "I'm sorry Judy I truly am"

"I know its just been a really long couple of weeks" the grey rabbit groaned. She loved her sister and understood why she did it…but sometimes. Jackie gave an apologetic smile before Judy continued. "Hows army life?"

Jackie ears extending to their full glory. "Its….been mixed" This peaked Judy's interest. Before Jackie left she would stop talking about how much she wanted to serve and fly. "Always somewhere new to go and new people to see. Never a dull moment and best of all people respect me." It was a bone of contention for rabbits that the world at large saw them as little more than cute and cuddle nymphomaniacs. To hear she was being seen as more made Judy even more determined to follow her own dream. But as Jackie spoke her excitement was dulled by something, the light in her wasn't as bright as it should have been.

"But?" Judy urged concerned a to what had dampened her sister spirits.

Her sister sucked in a breath "Mikes been killed" she said it quickly and on the brink of tears. Judy's ears dropped as she stopped walking and her eyes widened. Jackie had spoken about the ocelot numerous times, had even introduced him over muzzle time to their family. He'd been the one person other than Judy who'd believed in her and been there whenever she needed him, Judy had her suspicions that they saw each other as more than just friends though she kept it to herself. Either way Judy had been happy her sister had found someone like him.

Judy swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked her tears away. "How?"

"We got a call for immediate med-evac from a stadium in Mogadishu." Jackie was quite and wouldn't look at the camera directly. "Our first combat mission was going great, we had everyone on board and the other choppers had already left. We where the last two to fly out Mike followed by me. He took off and a few seconds later a single missile flew up and hit the cockpit." Jackie spoke as quickly as possible as if ripping off a plaster though she couldn't stop as a few stray tears fell.

Judy was speechless "Jackie I…" she began but her sister cut her off.

"Its fine, we all know the risks" she finally looked at the camera. "Anyway now I'm stuck here, trapped, with a bunch of mammals that don't look like their from the marines or rangers" she added wiping the few tears out of her eyes.

Judy was worried that her sister was trying to hide her pain from her but she could understand why she would change the subject. She was still at work after all. "What do you mean?"

Jackie looked to her left "Weeeeeelllllll, their not what you call orthodox, I mean they have no regard for traditional military discipline. Like they call all their officers some pretty offensive names"

"Nothing unusual in that" Judy cut off with a smile "They probably do it to you when you on mission"

But Jackie made her smile disappear "No I mean to their faces. Like this morning one, a sergeant I think, said: **Morning cum bucket** to a major! Who's a polar bear!"

Judy brought a paw to cover her mouth, her ears shot up straight and she blushed at the use of such language "What happened?"

"She called him a: **Rubber johnny?.** " Judy gave a confused look at her sister "I don't get it either, they laughed and got back to what they'd been doing! Like nothing happened" Jackie had begun to become animated at that last part but lowered her voice for the next bit "I think their…" Just then a song began playing at a excessively high volume which made Jackie groan, though Judy couldn't hear her over the noise. "THEY ALSO PLAY NICKELBEAK TO ANNOY THE ENEMY BUT IT P-" she was cut off as the song reached the chorus and the volume went up again, something Judy was glad for. "ME OFF"

Jackie tried to speak again but she was drowned out by the sound blaring from a pair of speakers that were out of shot of the camera. Finally giving up she waved goodbye to Judy who copied the motion. Just before the call ended Judy noticed a fox in the background. He was dressed in a medics uniform and had strawberry fur that appeared unwashed. The only other thing she had time to notice were his gorgeous, bright emerald eyes.

Then her home screen replaced her sister as the call ended.

An odd sensation ran through Judy as the image of the fox began to settle in her mind but she quickly shook her head of the fox and began going over what her sister had told her. Until now the war had been distant, of little real concern to most of the Hopps clan and those who also lived in the tri-burrows. This suddenly made things seem so much closer to home. She had the sudden urge to try and get Jackie out of the forces before it happened to her too. But she couldn't do that, Jackie had fought tooth and claw to be a pilot, Judy wouldn't take it away now.

Her parents on the other paw…


	18. Chapter 17: Lost glory

Chapter 17: Lost glory.

"There must be some kind of way outta here"

Darkness. That was all there was outside the stadium. It was another thing that Nick had to get used, the sheer lack of any light beyond their improvised fortress. It never truly got dark in Zootopia as between street light, cars and buildings there was always a source of light in the bustling metropolis. Here on the other paw there hadn't been many street lights to begin with and the one's there had been were all shot, shelled or destroyed in some other way. No one was driving around, or they'd receive a laser guided bomb for their troubles, and all buildings this deep in the city had been blown into rubble.

Not even the moon or stars could provide much light as smoke from fires rose high into the sky and the clouds covered what was left. Nicks night vision was of little use because it still need some form of light to work. So as the red fox gazed out from a hole blasted in the stadium wall all he saw was a dark expanse of nothing. A combination of anxiety and curiosity filled him at the sight knowing that outside the walls was enemy territory where it was open season on westerners. _'this must be what its like looking into deep space'_ he mused.

The sound of steady rain surrounded him though he was deaf to it now. A storm had blown in from the ocean and this led to the almost alien sight of rain in the Somali capital. He'd been sat in the open all day and now his uniform and fur were soaked through as the only cover there was had been handed over to the wounded. The sergeant was quietly singing, his lone voice drifting across the stadium like a ghost in search of meaning mingling with the groans of the dying.

Sentries sat atop the walls listening, waiting for the enemy to try something. Most we're rabbits as their hearing was much better than others and sight was proving almost useless. Two pack-howitzers stood watch over the main entrances loaded with canister shot and attached to a trip wire. John described the arrangement as the worlds most effect bugler alarm and the taste of gunpowder still hung slightly in the air though it was decidedly damp now.

Miss Winters was laying behind him she wasn't able to sleep either though this was mostly due to a hole in the tarpaulin dripping water onto her face. She'd managed to move herself just enough to get out from under the drip, thankful for the morphine still in her system. The pair didn't say a word to one another but Nick could feel the resentment and anger radiating from the artic fox behind him but Nick had more pressing matters concerning him.

The lack of anything in the dark void in front off him meant his eyes and brain had very little to keep themselves occupied. So they started making up their own 'entertainment' conjuring up images and sound much to Nicks displeasure. Tonight was no exception as a pair of amethyst eyes were flouting around just in his peripheral vision. Whenever he tried to look at them directly they'd vanish only to reappear elsewhere. Nick had spent weeks trying to place where he'd seen these eyes before but had come up empty pawed which only made him question himself even more. The fox's ears where also getting in on the act, reproducing screams and manufacturing voices of those he knew and had known.

' _Pathetic'_ Oh yeah and THAT voice was still there as well. ' _Couldn't even make Ollie proud'_ It sneered.

"You think Ollie would be proud?" He muttered bitterly, unaware he was saying it out loud.

' _Of course. You've seen how many he and the others have killed. Hell he may still be alive if not for you'_ The voices mocking tone hurt Nick far more than it should. He knew that Ollie's death was nothing to do with him. He couldn't have stopped it, couldn't have helped the Koala even after the explosion. So why did he feel so guilt? ' _Listen…the screams. Its a lullaby'_

Nick lowered his head, yanking his flattened ears down with his paws "Shut up" He growled in a hushed whisper though he could feel the gaze of the vixen behind him focus on his back as his tail instinctively curled around him."Your not real, Your not real" He kept repeating quietly.

" _Now look at you. Trying to convince yourself I'm not real"_ It laughed " _Truly pathetic. What would mom think"_ that did it.

Nicks head reared up, teeth exposed in a prehistoric snarl. His tail puffed out, his claws extended and in the most savage voice he could muster shouted "SHUT, UP!".

Silence fell. He took a shuddering breath. Sweet sweet silence, no voice, no screaming. Nothing. "Rouge?" A quiet and concerned voice came from behind. Nick suddenly became aware of the others, most of whom were trying to sleep. His ears flattened once more and he peaked over his shoulder giving an small, awkward smile.

"Hi Jazz" His meek, highly embarrassed voice greeted. She stayed where she was with a paw slightly extended and eyes wide. The artic vixen on the stretcher next to her was also looking at him with a combination of fear and curiosity.

"Are you ok?" It wasn't so much a question as It was more of a leading statement trying to urge Nick to tell her what was up.

"Fine" Nick responded too quickly, and with a forced smile, the two vixens shared the kind of worried look only females could. Nick recollected himself and cleared his throat before applying his hustler mask. "I appreciate you asking but really I'm fine" Jazz gave him a sceptical look debating whether to push the issue.

The sceptical look remained but she'd come to learn that pushing wouldn't get her anywhere. A bad habit he'd pick up from John. "OK" she finally said taking a seat next to Nick as miss Winters continued to watch the seen unfold. It was more interesting than staring at the tarpaulin sheet and listening to your own breathing.

Before an awkward silence could fall Nick spoke as John started to quietly sing again "So, what brings you here?"

Jazz shrugged. "I'm bored and Sasha isn't great at conversation"

"Sacre bleu" The sarcasm came oozing from him.

Jazz gave him an unimpressed look. "Va te faire foutre" She threw back but without any malice behind it, as Jazz had to put up a barrage of cliché French being thrown her way daily it didn't really bother her anymore.

A lazy smirk graced Nicks lips. But joking aside that wasn't what he'd meant. As Jazz already knew alot about him and Nick thought it was time to even the playing field. "You know that wasn't what I meant. I mean why are you in this unit?"

Jazz became jittery, her tail became ever so slightly puffed out and her gaze shot forward. "A girl has to have her secrets" She tried to sound flirty but failed miserably.

Nick wasn't letting her of the hook that easy. Time for a little guilty tripping "Oh come on. You know so much about me, where I'm from, what I did for a living….." he began counting off before Jazz interrupted him.

"Why you where convicted" she said in a slightly bitter but small voice making Nick freeze. "Relax rouge I've met far worse doing this" She still sounded annoyed obviously not a fan of what Nick was doing. A small silence fell on them and Nick was afraid he'd over stepped some unknown line. But Jazz spared him rather bluntly "I murdered my boyfriend"

After the last few months it took alot to surprise Nick but that did it. Jazz just seemed…not harmless but not someone who'd murder someone else even if she was a soldier "What? How?"

"Look it wasn't like I went out of my way or planned to shoot him" She began ranting in a harsh tone "I came home one night and I heard him in the bedroom…but something was wrong." Nick listened intently as the vixen continued as if she had forgotten he was present. "He was snarling, and growling. When I opened the door he was on all fours with his eyes narrowed to slits." She began to shake slightly before a choked, hiccuping sob came out and the tears started. "He lunged at me and I screamed. As I turned to run one of his claws slashed across the back of my head. I did the only thing I could think of and grabbed my gun." Nick shifted closer. He didn't really know what to say or do, he'd never really been here before. So he just did what he thought was the right thing to do and pulled the quietly crying vixen to him, tucking her head under his muzzle and aloud her to snuggle into his neck fur.

After several minutes of gentle crying Jazz seemed calm again. That gave Nick the chance to ask the question that had formed in his head. "Why did you have a gun?" He kept the question quiet and none accusatory.

"Remember the 2010 winter Olympics?" She felt Nick nod "Did you watch any?" a pause then Nick shock his head. Jazz rolled her eyes though Nick couldn't see it "I was one of the bronze Biathlon winners, I still had my rifle from the event"

"Well that explains why your such a good shot" That drew a small chuckle from the vixen…who had still to move from Nicks embrace. Nick suddenly became very aware that he had an attractive vixen cuddled up to him in the middle of the pouring rain.

Behind them the artic vixen had continued to watch the seen play out. She had no clue what they were saying but their body language told her everything she needed to know. She was struggling to understand the male. He'd tried, and come very close, to executing her but was now spending every day caring for her. And now he was comforting someone else with as much tenderness expected of a big brother. Maybe he wasn't as evil as she first thought.

"ACTUNG! ALARM! ALARM!" A cry sounded as red flares shot into the sky.


	19. Chapter 18: HOLD FAST!

Chapter 18: HOLD FAST!

"ACTUNG! ALARM! ALARM!" A cry sounded as red flares shot into the sky.

Nick and Jazz looked up to see a sentry screaming at the top of her lungs and pointing out over the wall. Nick refocused back on the hole he'd been staring through to be greeted by the enemy uncomfortable close.

The attackers looked up at the flares, that coated the field a blood red, for just a second. They almost seemed hypnotised though from atop the wall and in the dark it was impossible to tell what emotions where carved onto their faces. They we're distracted for just a second as they refocused on their target.

Mammals began grabbing their guns and helmets while running for their positions. Some ran to the entrances while others began firing through holes in the stadiums concrete. Most headed for the top of the wall. Nick had never seen mammals climb stairs so quickly but the battle cry from the enemy was the reminder they weren't moving fast enough. "LIGHTS!" The re-purposed stadium flood lights lit up all in front of them, some of the enemy stopped, shielding their eyes as they struggled to see. "FIRE! FIRE!" The order sounded as machine guns let rip in to those caught in the blinding light.

Tracer cut though those in the open. Some screamed in their native tongue while others just sank to the earth in silence. The guns on the wall continued their merciless harvest of the living, each having their own unique voice. The heavy 50 calibres sounded like a steam train pulling out of the station while the light machine guns where like buzz saws. The tax mammals knock from the AK 47's was joined by the wood peckers of the M16's and the distinctive whip crack of a sniper.

Then, all the fire stopped and complete stillness descended. The only sound, a soft fizzing coming from the flares and a paw full of groans. The Nighthowlers peered over the edge of the stadium and out of holes.

Nothing.

One of the machine gunners, a tiger, chuckled "Huh, well that was ea-" It died in his thought as a white flash struck him in the neck. Blood ran down his front as he stumbled backwards and fell down the seats. Everyone else ducked or retook their positions as the enemy returned the favour just visited on them. Nick had made a beeline for the soldier who'd been hit, applying pressure as the feline clutched his throat. But there was nothing he could do. The bullet had hit the artery giving the fox a front row seat as the tigers life literately slipped through his grasp. He gargled up blood that ran down his throat and his eyes begged Nick to do something, anything to stop the flow.

The look didn't last long as after giving a final last gurgle and his paws fell to his sides and his face ceased to move. Nicks own paws left the now deceased tigers neck and dropped to earth next to him. He could still feel the crimson liquid running between his fingers as the night sky was lit up by the battle going on around him and the rain continued to fall. He wasn't alone for long as more mammals came tumbling down the seats. Some dead others injured.

The enemy raked their fire positions with bullets and mortars while others were aiming for the spotlights. Huge pieces of shattered glass fell on to the wounded laying on stretchers in the open impaling them. A piece embedded itself in the ground mere inches from miss winters head. Her eyes wide, she turned to look at the piece only to look beyond it as another piece fell and decapitated the elk next to her, the defenceless mammals severed head rolled back and away. She couldn't stay here.

Running on pure adrenaline she rolled onto her front. Ignoring the agonizing pain from her shoulder and using her one good arm she began to drag herself toward an over hang in the concrete bowl. It continued to rain knifes as the flood lights were shot to pieces and her shoulder demanded she stop, the pain getting worse and worse. Fate though seemed determined to draw blood from the crippled vixen. Just as she finally dragged herself into relative safety a small piece fell slicing into her calf muscle, only stopped by the bone.

The enemy kept pushing, no longer blinded and seeing the bodies of their fallen comrades they charged for the stadiums entrances. Straight at John, Sasha, Hopps and Jenkins. The four mammals where holding a small breast work of sand bags at the opening of one of the entrances. The wolfs machine gun glowed red hot in the obsidian night, steam billowing from the barrel as water landed and instantly evaporated. Jackie Hopps was feeding the belts into the gun, trying to prevent a jam. "There getting too close sergeant!" She tried to remain professional but the reality of the situation was obvious as her nose twitched a million times a second and her voice raised in pitch. She was a pilot so to say she was out of her depth was and understatement.

As one of the attackers appeared in front of him John gave him a burst. The cheater was nearly cut in half due to the close range. "I'm aware floppsy" he stated through clenched teeth. He fired at another and the belt ripped from between the rabbits fingers, devoured by the ravenous weapon. Sasha was fairing little better. Her shattered face was making aiming almost impossible, forcing her to fire from the hip making her accuracy appalling.

The gods seemed to sense what was happening. The rain became heavier as the wind rose whipping it into a frenzy. Lightning split the sky and booming thunder drowned out the gun fire and screams. "LEFT! LEFT!" Jenkins shouted. The other three mammals heads whipped round, spotting five mammal shaped spectres running. John grabbed his machine gun and pointed it in their direction. Jackie ducked under and when he opened fire shoved her finger into her ears, her ear plugs doing little. John held down the trigger as the shapes dropped one by one.

Despite holding their ground so far things were getting too hot. "If think we've out stayed our welcome! Jenkins! fall back!" The tapir jumped up and ran back inside the structure with surprising speed for someone with such stubby legs.

John turned back to his front spying two more charging with bayonets fixed. Taking aim he squeezed the trigger. 'Click'. "Shit! Hopps need another belt!"

Jackie began to search the boxes for fresh ammunition. But nothing. All were empty. "There are none!" she sounded on the verge of panic. The charging mammals were now practically on top of them. John turned back around, his eyes wide and ears back as he stared into the eyes of an almost savage looking black bear. He grabbed his revolver, levelled it and fired two shots. The bears head reared back and he dropped his rifle crumbling up and falling on top of the sand bags.

The second soldier didn't stop. In fact she sped up. The she wolf jumped up onto the back of the now dead bear but John was ready for her. One more shot met her, striking her in the chest. She fell mortally wounded between John and Sasha coughing up blood. Jackie watched in horror as the she wolf writhed where she lay but the near miss hadn't slowed John. "HOPPS!" His third shout finally got through to her and she turned to look at him. "FALL BACK!" The snarl on the sergeants lips elected an instant, hard wired response. She disappeared inside so quickly that John swore he saw a gap in the rain.

As the snow leopard and wolf were about to do the same a tell tail rumble reached their ears. It was accompanied by the squeak and grinding of metal on metal. From the inky blackness, headlights appeared. Lightning flashed illuminating the T55 tank like a monster from a horror story. John placed a paw on his subordinates shoulder "You take this one" he ordered. The alarm in his voice threatening to reveal how he was really feeling.

The pair dropped behind the sandbag wall praying the metal beast had failed to see them. Removing her RPG from her back Sasha attempted to slide a fresh rocket into the metallic tube. Their breath was fast and heavy due to the combination of fear and physical exertion. With her mouth bandaged shut Sasha was struggling to get enough air. The soaked rocket slipped from her paws and John, in technical terms, shat himself as the explosive projectile hit the dirt between them.

It failed to explode. The wolfs eyes went back into their sockets and he released a breath he'd inadvertently sucked in. The tank rumbled closer the machine gun on top spitting white hot lead that peppered the stadium. Sasha went to pick up the rocket but John, not wanting to temp fate again, had already grabbed it and was placing it into the launcher. The tanks flame thrower came to life spaying napalm across the face of the concrete structure.

With the rocket loaded Sasha flicked the safety and levelled the device at her target. John hunkered down holding his helmet with one paw and revolver in the other. Sasha had to wait for the tank to turn then aim for the gap between the tracks and mud guard. If she hit anywhere else the rocket would just bounce off like a tennis ball. The monsters main gun fire somehow making the deafening gunfire and lightning seem bearable.

"When ever you feel like it Sasha!" John knew she was waiting for a good shot but he also knew they had no ammunition and an exposed left flank. All it would take was one adventures soul to throw a grenade or run up with a rifle and they'd be just another statistic for historians to read about.

The leopardess ignored the sergeant. And waited. It drew closer firing another shell over their heads, causing them to duck, and down the passage into the stadium . The shot passed between Jackie's ears before burying itself into the opposite row of seats. The vehicle gave another spurt from the flame thrower coating the stadium to their right. Both felt the ends of their fur singe and the water that had collected on them turn to steam.

The behemoth finally turned enough, giving Sasha the shot she needed. The rocket motor ignited slamming the warhead into the side of the tank. The tank intermediately burst into a fire ball, one that not even the driving rain had any effect on. There was the sound of grinding gears and snapping springs. The beast shuddered to a stop as the engine died flames shooting from the hatches as the ammunition cooked off.

For the second time in as many minutes John let out a breath he'd been holding. "Your gonna give me a heart attack one of these days" he groaned though not actually looking at the grenadier next to him. If Sasha could smile she would have but they had bigger issues… And half of her face didn't work. Sasha and John grabbed their equipment then used the confusion of the burning tank to run inside.

Meanwhile Nick was up on top of the wall applying a dressing to Cpt Riley. Two pieces of shrapnel had cut his left ear in half and gouged a trench out of the top of his skull yet despite the large amounts of blood and seriousness of the injury he stayed where he was. The injured lay next to the dead a top the wall. Blood and internal organs ran down the seats, pooling in the drainage ditches at there base. "SOMEONE GET ME A BLOODY RADIO!" The captain bellowed turning his head in the direction of an Ox with the necessary equipment.

The sudden movement caused Nick to touch the sterile pad of the dressing. This was the third bandage he'd gone through. "Captain would you keep you head still please!" He almost begged as he removed another bandage.

The Lion ignored him as his own blood blended in with his mane. "SHUT YER BLOODY MOUTH!" before going back to the radio. Nick was stunned. He was trying to help, potentially save, the stubborn lion and for every minute Nick wasted here another soldier needed his attention some clinging to life but still savable. They were dying while the lion slowed him.

Nick snapped. All his anger at himself and the past months bubbled up as he Grabbing the lion by the mane on the back of his head and shouted in fury straight down his ear "HOLD. FUCKING. STILL!" What would have been a criminal act of insubordination anywhere else worked. The captain stayed stock still. And he stayed like a rabbit in the head lights until Nick finished. Some of the other soldiers around them turned to gaze at the scene of the fire breathing Scottish lion shouted down by the fox. Just before leaving Nick leaned back to his ear "As you were" Then ran off further down the firing line. ' _We are going to pay for that'_

Jazz was standing next to the lion doing her best to keep the enemy mortar crews away from their weapons. Nicks shouting had distracted her momentarily as she reloaded. It was something she never expected from him. Then again Nick was proving to be full of surprises. She felt what could only be described as pride forming. Almost as if she was the big sister watching he brother take on the school bully.

The captain snapped out off his stupor "DELTA 6! THIS IS ROMEO 7! ARTILLARY REQUEST FOLLOWS! TARGET BUFFALO 3! REGIMENT GUNS! HIGH EXPLOSIVE! EMERGANCY! OVER!"

The radio crackled to life "HERE COMES THE RAIN!" The deep rumble sounded from behind friendly lines as the shells rose into the night sky. Then with a noise that was akin to a waterfall they fell. They fell continuously for a solid minute. The defenders dropped behind their sandbags or concrete protection as ear drums shattered, the blood pouring from their ears. Yet even this didn't stop the enemy for long. "FIRE AGAIN!"

"WILCO!" Again a down pour of high explosive and shrapnel followed as thunder and lightning cracked over head as if in a contest. After this fire mission the enemy decided to cut their loses and fall back. Not that the Nighthowlers felt like letting them get away. They open a withering fired into the backs of the fleeing foe. "Kill em all!" the cry went up as more fell blown apart as lead impacted flesh. Some threw their paws up and where shot to pieces where they stood.

As the last of the enemy disappeared into the darkness, or sunk into eternal slumber, the rain slowed to its pre-battle levels. Steam continued to billow from the machine guns and rifles that were still scolding hot. The rain washed blood down the storm drains and into the broken sewers. Limbs littered the field and fire positions of the Nighthowlers. The light patter of the rain was joined by the sound of groans and shrieks once more.

John finally lowered his gun and while looking down the entrance passage snarked "Something tells me their serious about this"


	20. Chapter 19: What doesn't kill you

Chapter 19: What doesn't Kill you….

Everyone stayed at their posts that night. The fight had lasted for just over an hour though it had felt like years for those involved. Half slept whilst the others stayed vigilant, jumping to ready positions at the slightest noise or movement. The darkness giving them the constant urge to look behind them. They watched and listened all night, but the enemy did not return. Much to their relief.

Nick hadn't spent much time at his post due to the wide range of injuries and the fact that the medical team had been particularity badly hit. Of the 25 medical staff present 13 were now dead, 10 others were injured and 1 was missing. Nick was the only medic left in one piece and as such was picking up alot of the slack that was left. The garrison as a whole wasn't faring much better. Although last night had been the heaviest attack casualties had been slowly mounting over the course of the siege. Out of the original 300, 102 were incapacitated or dead with a further 100 injured, all this was without factoring in the enemy wounded that had also been taken in.

The extra workload, and the 'excitement' from the night before, took its toll. His limbs felt like lumps of steel and his eye lids appeared to have 18 elephants hanging from them. A highway resurfacing crew were currently going about their day inside his skull apparently filling in the potholes in his neural network while his ears were still ringing.

But he was almost done as he was currently going to take care of his final charge before sleep, glorious, sensual, soothing sleep could be his. All he had to do was find her. As he approached the stretcher where miss Winters should have been he found it empty, only shards of glass blanketed the wood and canvas stretcher. Nick's sleepy mind jumped straight to the conclusion that she'd been finished off by one of these knife like shards, the hopeful tone his mind had used made him physically grimace, however seeing that there was no blood he vanished the thought.

It didn't take long to locate the pure white vixen with crystal blue eyes, although to be honest she wasn't white anymore. She was sat in what must have once been a team box from when the stadium fulfilled its intended purpose. Her back was propped up against the wall, with her eyes closed as her chest rode and fell gently. Nicks brow raised in surprise and he momentarily wondered how she'd got there. The drag marks on the ground coupled with the copious amounts of dust and dirt on her shirt gave him his answer.

"Tough vixen" He muttered to himself. Eyeing the sleeping vixen he began to think about home and another vixen he'd left there. Daniela. It may have been months but Nick still missed her and just wished he could talk to her. He did wonder why she hadn't contacted him yet but just put this down to her not knowing where he was. 'Y _ou sure its because she doesn't know where you are?'_. This voice always seemed to pick the most annoying moments to pipe up but with his sleep addled brain he just didn't have the mental fortitude to argue right now.

Instead he moved to kneel at the side of the sleeping vixen. She may have been battered and bruised, cover from head to foot in dirt and blood, But in that moment the war seemed distant. Like he was back in one of Zootopia's stunning parks with Daniela. Examining her his brow lowered as he noticed a thin trail of blood running out from under one of her legs. As gently as possible he rotated the offending leg to have a better look and saw the glass shard buried deep in the muscle with only the tip of it protruding. Nick gave the fragment an experimental tug but it was gonna take a more forceful approach to get it out.

Miss Winters stirred from her peaceful slumber as she grimaced at the sensation coming from her limb. Her eyes slowly flickered open revealing the medic causing the discomfort. He glanced up for a moment to give an apologetic smile then immediately focused back on her calf.

Nick really didn't want to have to deal with the her hate filled stare and snarling. He just wanted to get this over with so he could got to bed, so he kept his eyes and mind focused on her leg. ' _This has to be the only time when staring at a females legs isn't considered creepy'_ The thought brought a small smile to his lips as it only highlighted the unusual situation he found himself in. Knowing he was going to have to pull the glass out and clean the wound otherwise it would become infected. This meant he would have to look her in the eye…' _great'._

As his gaze rose to meet hers he expected the same disgust that was always on it when he was nearby. But to his surprise he didn't see disgust in those vast expanses of topaz, instead he saw a flurry of emotions playing across them. Nervousness, curiosity and pain with a sprinkling of hate and anger in all of them. He still couldn't blame her for any of those feelings but it was a pleasant surprise from what he had come to expect. He mimed what he was going to do, not very well but on the third attempt she nodded that she understood though Nick felt it was just so he'd stop.

He gripped the leg with one paw and the glass with the other. Then counted down. 3. 2. 1. He pulled as hard as he could, it was always better to just get it over with as quickly as possible, and the shard jerked up as it came free. Winters hissed and said something in Somali. He didn't know for sure but imagined 'fuck' or 'shit' weren't far off what she'd said. With the 2 inch long piece of glass out he could now inspect the injury. Just like her shoulder the glass had missed anything important, there was only the risk of infection. Not only was she tough, she was bloody lucky. Having checked for stray pieces of glass and cleaned the wound he tied a clean bandage around her leg.

Once done he looked to Winters once more. She'd been giving out little hisses and grunts as he worked, though now the pain was giving way to the familiar and annoying ache. A barely noticeable smile appeared on her muzzle as she gave a small nod in thanks. Nick returned the small gesture with his own smile before giving her the daily shot of pain killers both where now accustom to. With Winters seen to, Nick was finally done and could indulge in the precious activity of sleep. He couldn't be bothered moving. He'd already needed to force himself to complete his various charges for the day rather just curling up into a fluffy ball. As if his body recognised the fact he had nothing else to do it let out an enormous yawn giving the world a full view of the inside of his mouth.

Miss Winters watched as the exhausted looking medic yawned in a way that threatened to split his head in two. His eyes lids slowly lost their battle with gravity, the elephants finally pulling them shut, and he tumbled onto his side before curling into a red and cream ball of fluff next to her. He was out cold. Even when she nudged him nothing stirred, only his tail came up and wrapped around him with the tip resting against his nose. She couldn't deny the cute spectacle that he was putting on and slowly extended a paw to gently scratch at the base of one of his ears.

Meanwhile

John had spent the majority of the morning getting to grips with the situation. With Captain Riley suffering such an extensive head injury the job of leading the defense had fallen to 1st Lieutenant Wetherby who, and lets be kind, was a useless pile of excrement. John thought back to Narvik and his first taste of combat. The Lieutenant had gone to pieces in the carnage and had it not been for Riley, at the time only a sergeant, the operation would have failed and John would most likely be dead. Riley took the credit and Wetherby had been humiliated something the spiteful little raccoon never forgave. Wetherby's incompetence was such that though on paper he was in charge in really most took their orders from John.

The situation wasn't terrible but was far from ideal. Casualties were mounting and with each attack their concrete fortress began to look more and more like Swiss cheese as Sandbags filled with rubble became their main source of protection. The fact the medical team had been shot to pieces didn't help either.

And as if that wasn't enough he also had Nick's conviction to worry about. Cyrus had kept digging and the further he dug the more skeletons he uncovered. His most recant revelation was that one of the Furson's had move a stupidly large amount of money into two Swiss bank accounts. Though Cyrus hadn't been able to find a name attached to said bank accounts it didn't take someone with a great sense of smell to get a whiff of fish. Cyrus had his suspicions that it was Zootopia's attorney general, a mister Samuel Hopslock, and the current chief of precinct one, Chief Cynthia Miller. I was apparently common knowledge the two were corrupt its just no one had ever proven it.

For now though John told Cyrus to gather all their evidence together and then wait for the right time and person to give the information to. The wolf had also decided to not tell Nick what they'd found because the fox had enough to worry about as it was.

He'd never had to carry so much wait before and for so long, he couldn't deny he was starting to feel it as he lit his third cigarette of the day. It wasn't even 08:00 yet. "You seem stressed scars" A seductive voice spoke from behind him.

A toothy grin spread across the the wolfs face "You have no idea Jazz".

The sigh in his admission told Jazz all she needed to know. "I can help with that" she suggested with half lidded eyes, as she came to stand in front of him.

"I've no doubt you can" He chuckled "But you know the rules, business before pleasure."

Jazz's expression didn't change as she took another step forward placing a paw on the larger predators waist. "Come on, I'll be quick" She teased in a breathy tone. The whole scene must have been rather amusing to any by standers as the vixen only just came up to John's armour clad chest.

"We're canids Jazz that's one activity we cant do quickly" He replied with his own smile.

Jazz's other paw met his waist. "That we know of" She began raising onto her toes, as she came to be completely flush against him, trying to will the wolf into give in though at this point she wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or hers.

Looking down into the hazel eyes of the vixen who was virtually throwing herself at him John began to reconsider his position. _'It has been a while'_ The temptress before him picked up on the pause and her eye's closed as she nuzzled into his fluffy neck. John's breath deepened slightly and for just that little extra temptation she placed a light kiss, followed by a lick, on his throat.

That damn nearly made him give in but he had rules for a reason. He gently placed his paws atop hers and slowly pushed them away, making the rest of Jazz follow "Not while on duty" He stated in a soft yet firm tone.

Jazz sank back down onto her feet and took a step back. "Fine" The disappointment was clear, along with the slight hint of frustration. Her ears fell slightly but as she went to pull her paws away his grip tightened slightly.

It was his turn now and his eye lids dropped half way. He Brought his muzzle to one of her ears whispering sensually "20:00 hours, west side behind the rations. See you there" He then gave a playful little bite to the tip of sensitive appendage before walking past her not waiting for a reply.

Though he didn't get away scot free now a familiar stirring bellow his belt took hold. _'Great now I gotta work with this damn thing'_


	21. Chapter 20: stress relief

Chapter 20: Stress Relief

The night was cool as the moon lit up the earth, hanging in the sky like a silver dollar or 50 pence piece. The air was still and all was quiet, except for the crackling of fires either made by soldiers of both sides or the tank destroyed the night before. In the stadium, half the Nighthowlers slept at their posts while the others remained vigilant. For John it was business as usual, the routine of a battalion on the field of battle.

Though right now the familiarity of it all was a problem because it failed to give him something to focus his wondering mind on. It was at times like these he hated his minds overly enthusiastic imagination and impressive memory. When alone it would all start to come back again, the screams and sights of five years of war. Of friends and enemy's disembowel, decapitated or burn to ash. It wasn't just the sights and sounds, but also the smell. The smell of blood and gun powder as well as the physical pain of injuries. He rubbed his burned arm as the images flashed through his mind, a dull burning sensation beginning to radiate from the injury. An apparition was watching him form out the corner of his eye, that bastard wolf that looked and sounded like him but embodied all his savage characteristics. He was silent, just watching.

He was stood behind a pile of rations on the western side of the oval. These rations had yet to be touch and as such were stacked high in wooden crates making it easy for even the larger than average wolf to hide behind them. Now all he needed was for a curtain French vixen to show up for some 'stress relief'. It was no secret that they did this, in fact John wasn't the only one Jazz would sneak off with to secluded corners. That said he was the one she seemed to spend the longest with.

Just watching.

He checked his watch again. 8:30. ' _Where are y…'_

"Bonjour" John looked towards the sensual and hungry voice, to see Jazz leaning against one of the stacks of crates. John had already taken the liberty of removing the armoured plates from his torso and thighs leaving him in his olive green T-shirt and camouflaged trousers, but he could tell she was already stripping him of those last few bits with her eyes as she bit her bottom lip.

The wolf just rolled his eyes. "You could give a bunny a run for their money"

Jazz shrugged while playing with her collar. "Only when a certain wolf gets my motor running and then leaves me horny all day" she flirted with no shortage of innocence that off set the predatory grin she wore. That grin made her look like a lion eyeing her lunch… and John loved it.

John began scratching his chin in a false display of confusion "Huh, sounds like this wolf needs make it up to you. If only he were here" He spared a quick glance over to where the spectre had been standing…nothing. When he turned back around the vixen was advancing on him.

Jazz pushed herself off the stack and sauntered her way towards the wolf adding extra sway to her hips. Hazel eyes glowing as they reflected the moon light. It had the desired effect as she could tell he was beginning to salivate and when her tail got in on the act the wolf started to take deeper breaths. As she reached him Jazz placed a paw on the wolfs abdomen. She would have preferred his chest but the size difference prevented her. She felt the strength as the muscle underneath tensed, something he always did though she was unsure if it was just a reflex or he did it intentionally.

Not that she cared right now.

The second paw came up and together they forced the wolf before her down onto a knee high crate stacked against the wall. He let out an exaggerated grunt upon landing but was silenced when she leapt onto his lap and slammed her lips to his as her arms wrapped around his fuzzy neck. After a minute of tongue duelling she pulled back allowing both of them to catch their breath "Oh he is and he will" she stated breathlessly before closing the gap between their muzzles again.

Meanwhile

Nick was walking down from the top of the wall down the concrete steps, that were now stained crimson, and was heading to a pile of medical supplies. He needed to top up his medic bags before continuing his work. A light artillery barrage, most likely infantry mortars, had hit them earlier in the day and although none of the bombs had landed inside the perimeter certain individuals just couldn't resist poking their heads over the wall. More head injuries caused by shrapnel were the result although no one had been killed at least.

Rounding the helicopter still sitting mothballed he saw supplies along with someone who Nick didn't expect and to be honest shouldn't have been there. Captain Riley was sitting against the crates one paw held a cigarette while the other massaged one of his temples. His face was contorted giving away the level of the migraine he was currently suffering and his mane had been shaved off. They had been forced to clean the hole in his skull and this meant that the mane had to go. Although necessary it was still the most humiliating thing you could do to a lion and this was a major problem for Nick because he had been the one who'd done the deed.

So to say Nick was uneasy about being left alone with the lion was an understatement. It was also at this point that Nicks brain chose to reminded him of some of the horror stories he'd been told of officers attacking subordinates and the actions of Wetherby earlier added to his general feeling of dread. The lion failed to react as Nick drew near and this only served to increase Nicks apprehension at getting close to the large predator. It wasn't until Nick was just out of arms reach that he stopped and the captain finally acknowledged the fox's presence, though he didn't raise his head. "Just who I was looking for" He ground out.

That was not what the fox had wanted to hear. The fact Nick couldn't tell whether he sounded pissed off or just pained didn't help either. It was probably both he reasoned. "Sir" his nervousness was clear in his voice and by the fact that he was angle slightly away for a sharp exit.

Even though his head felt like it was being assaulted by a pair of nitro fuelled jack hammers Riley was able to pick up on how timid the medic next to him was being. "What's the matter? I dunny bite" He tried to sound chirpy, well chirpy by his standards, but his clenched teeth ruined the attempt. Nick gave an obviously fake laugh and stayed where he was, just close enough to be polite but still far enough to bolt if needed and upon seeing this the lion gave up on the forced niceties. All it was serving to do was make his head feel even worse. "Look Wilde. If you can stop the band practise in my head I promise to not break your jaw deal?" He managed to squeeze out before a deep growl left his chest.

"Yes sir" It was an automated response that was now hard wired into him. Earlier that day he'd forgotten to salute Wetherby after he'd been ordered to do a supply check and the raccoon had retaliated with one short, sharp jab at Nicks testicles. It hadn't been a full blown punch but it was still enough to make the fox nearly vomit.

As Nick reached for a crowbar and then for a fresh crate of pain killers, the captain took note of Nicks response. "The lieutenant gave you the once over didn't he"

It wasn't a question and despite his current condition it came out in a slight sigh. Nick could imagine the lion rolling his eyes as a slight ache began to reverberate from a specific area between his legs. "Yes sir" he winced at the sensation. After grabbing a fresh tube of pain killer from the crate he knelt and applied it to the embattled lion and it soon began to take effect as Riley's jaw finally relaxed though his eyes remained closed.

"Its Edward, you don't have to keep calling _me_ sir" He grumbled as the pain killer began to take the edge off the pain. Silence followed for the next 2 minutes before Riley spoke up. "Thanks" Nick was about to respond when a familiar, and dreaded whistle filled the air.

"ARTILLARY!" The call went up and soldiers dropped what they were doing and dived for the dirt, paws over their heads. Metallic clangs then followed one after the other as the projectiles planted themselves into the ground inside the stadium and for a second everyone believed the danger was over.

A blood chilling hiss soon had them wishing the shells had exploded.


	22. Chapter 21: Count down

Chapter 21: Count down

Sir!

We're surrounded!

Excellent. Now we can fire in any direction!

\- unknown officer

Just when you think you've seen enough. When you already have enough fuel for your nightmares, this place would deliver a fresh tanker full free of charge. Nick had seen the aftermath of poison gas attacks before now but last night had been his first time in one. Watching the green cloud slowly form as the stadium acted as a bowl, smothering the ground and those without protection.

Those on stretchers had suffered the worse with the majority succumbing to the Chlorine onslaught due to the lack of gas masks and filters. John had made the decision to give out the masks and filters that did remain to the those that would still be able to fight. The memories of the condemned wounded writhing and chocking in the green fog had Nick reached for something he never thought he would. His paws idly played with the smouldering cigarette as he stared blankly at the stadium wall. His eyes were dry and painful owing to the fact he hadn't blinked in several minutes while his breathing was slow, deep and devoid of feeling as his mind replayed the images of the night before.

Of mammals gasping for help, thrashing side to side and covering their eyes as the water in their lungs and eyes was turned to acid. Others who didn't have as much mobility had just lay there, some weeping, excepting their fate. Their movements had eventually slowed to twitching, then nothing. Blood dribbling from their eyes and mouths that slowly pooled and dried once the sun came up. Their bodies were now being gathered into large piles and covered with the tarpaulin that once protected them from the sun.

The general mood amongst the defenders had changed. Whereas before there had been a jovial if understanding atmosphere of their situation, now everyone had a heavy heart and the air seemed filled with a feeling of imminent doom. The reality of their situation, and the knowledge that no relief forces had reached them, had finally hit home with an awful thud.

Nick raised the cigarette to his lips once more to take another drag. He didn't feel scared anymore. The constant strain of that emotion now held no meaning for him anymore, being like the worlds most persistent mosquito buzzing in his ear. The images of home now played through his mind mixing with those of last night. Of his mom, of Daniela and of friends, everything he wouldn't get to see again. He was reserved to his fate, he would die in this dust bowl and there was nothing he could do about it.

Miss Winters had been laying next to the medic who had been her constant companion for the last few weeks, at least she thought it was weeks. The mammal she had once hated more than she thought it possible had become….something….else. A friend maybe? More? No, that didn't seem right she didn't even know his name and he didn't know hers. They never said a word to one another outside of him when he was treating her, but she never knew what he was on about. Yet she owed her life to him as he had been able to get her a gas mask, and fit it, just before the toxic cloud reached her.

What she couldn't understand through speech she could feel as the fox next to her was practically radiating melancholy though thinking about it she wasn't really surprised. It hadn't been her first gas attack and that coupled with the fact she knew no one around her meant that she found it easier to deal with last night. The thousand yard stare the medic was giving the wall told her that he was reacting to the event rather differently.

Her arm extended to place a paw on the shoulder nearest to her. She had a natural urge to comfort him though why? She didn't really know. Something else she didn't understand was why the idea of him simply dismissing the attempt at consoling him bothered her so much. He continued to stare for what felt like a life time but just before she was about to give up a shaky paw came up and rested atop hers and squeezed gently.

Atop the wall.

John sat like most of his fellow soldiers at his position on the wall. Last night had been abominable and for John and Jazz shit scary though not for the reasons most would expect. The gas attack had occurred during mandatory cuddle time and as a result had sent the pair in to a frenzy to cover the point of connection before the Chlorine reached them. Neither was 100% sure what would happen but the risk of developing chemical burns _down there_ and thenhaving to explain to a doctor how they got a matching set was enough. It had led to a rather uncomfortable night laying there in gas masks with their collective lower half wrapped in a smock…Still he reasoned would make one hell of a story.

But whereas most of the defenders where pessimistic about their chances, John was smoking for a different reason. He'd found out that morning that Lieutenant Wetherby had snuck out last night. No warning, no attempt to get some of the others out. No he had simply slipped out and abandoned them to their fate. John was incandescent with rage when he found out in fact Corporal Clark had flinched at his reaction. But to his credit he just cursed Wetherby under his breath. The fact his boots had fallen to pieces didn't help either. Now after ordering for the dead to be collected and telling Clark to tell HQ of their situation, and when they could expect reinforcement, he had little to really do but sit and wait. ' _I don't care what others say smoking works wonders for my nerves'_

Sasha was laying next to him and she hadn't gotten off scot free last night as in her hurry to fit her mask she'd pulled and jostled her jaw. She'd spent the night on the brink of throwing up and the tight fitting mask that constantly applied pressure really hadn't helped. Neither had removing the damn rubber veil in the morning. Now having been plied with morphine, and getting her jaw reset, she was waiting for the latest bout of nausea to wear off. It did serve to keep her mind of the fact they were all likely to die…again. "How you feelin Sasha?" The wolf beside her asked with a bedraggled voice that matched his appearance. The leopardess just groaned in response wanting her jaw to stop causing her problems.

The air was muggy which saturated her fur causing it to stick to her body and the faint smell of chlorine surrounded them. Sasha doubted it was possible to be anymore uncomfortable than this but the world just seemed to take that as a challenge. The wind had been the only thing stopping her going stir crazy with its cooling caress but now it disappeared and refused to return. It was too much even for the seasoned soldier and tears began to well in her eyes. It had been weeks since she'd last been without pain and coupled with everything else it was starting to get to be to much. She loathed being like this, vulnerable and helpless to her environment and own body. She just wanted it to end.

A silhouette, backlit by the brilliant blue and cloudless sky, appeared above her. Unnoticed by her John had made his way around her side to end up next to her head and seeing this she hurriedly began wiping the liquid from her eyes that were full of shame. She didn't know why she felt so ashamed. The two had known each other for 2 years and both had seen this side of each other before. Maybe it was pride or maybe she felt she was letting him down either way the feeling was the same.

The wolf knew what it was like when everything just seemed to fall apart and you wanted to just curl up and disappear. But he couldn't let that happen. He'd already let this god forsaken city claim one of his friends and he'd die before let it get another. Slowly and with the utmost care he lifted her head before placing it like a priceless artefact of the Romammal empire in his lap. The leopardess tensed up, not being used to physical contact beyond punching she was a little unprepared to find herself so close to her friends crotch. John began to slowly pet the top of her head by running he thump in slow, short strokes over it as his other paw gave very delicate scratches to the undamaged side of her face.

With a slow, steady rhythm set he lent back on against the sand bags looking out across the bowl. Sasha slowly began to relax the as the reassuring brushes soothed both her mind and body for the first time in a long time. She was so relaxed she couldn't stop the low almost ghostly purr that started. Even John's slight chuckle at her response but that didn't faze her as she slowly floated to her first real sleep in weeks.

The roof of the Turkish embassy

The antelope observed the stadium before him through a set of binoculars while he absent-mindedly chewed on a tooth pick. His uniform had once been that of an officer but was little more than rags now. His arm was in a sling after nearly being severed by an air strike and he'd lost an eye to a mortar barrage. The familiar sounds of battle reached his ears, floating from what was once his home but now was nothing more than a pile of smoking rubble and the thought of what these bandits, these pirates had done to his beloved home had him biting the tooth pick in two.

He wasn't stupid he knew his side were going to lose but he had every intention of taking as many of the invaders with him as possible, starting with that stadium. The mammals defending it had repelled everything he'd thrown at them but last night he'd sent gas. A weapon that could make even the strongest flee and as a young gopher came running up throwing a quick salute he was eager to hear the results. "Scouts report sir". The antelope turned seeing the gopher in nothing but his boxers and a bandoleer holding several shotgun shells with the gun over one shoulder.

"How effective was the gas?" his voice sounded like sand paper rubbing against itself and was pure authority.

"Very. The defenders are stacking the bodies high sir, and their moral appears none existent, though I wasn't able to discover how many are left sir" The gopher rattled off quickly nervousness edging his voice.

The officer inspected the tooth pick in his hoof whilst evaluating the information and considering his next move. "Good, very good. Order the artillery to fire all remaining shells inside the walls starting at 06:00 hours tomorrow." directing the order to the radio mammal with them. "And tell Sergeant Ellyas to leave her current positions and reinforce Lieutenant Mahad"

The soldiers around him looked at each other in puzzlement. "But sir, that will open their main escape route" one of them pointed out hesitantly.

An unnerving grin spread across the antelope's face. "Exactly. We give them a way out and they'll use it, at witch point we slaughter them." emphasising his point by crushing what was left of the tooth pick.


	23. Chapter 22: BLOOD!

Chapter 22: BLOOD!

Through action, a Man becomes a Hero

Through death, a Hero becomes a Legend

Through time, a Legend becomes a Myth

And by learning from the Myth, a Man takes action

\- Unknown

"Keep you heads down!" 2 hours. 2 fucking hours this had gone on for. "I thought they were meant to be out of ammo!" Indeed they were supposed to be but the enemy artillery hadn't got the message so they had been shelling the stadium relentlessly, though thankfully without any gas or white phosphorus shells. Never would Nick have thought he would be thankful someone was only throwing high explosive at him yet here he was hunkered down, pressed as close to the wall as possible, paws on his helmet and over his ears in a futile attempted to keep the commotion out. "When was the last time HQ got something right!?"

Most had pressed themselves against the wall facing the artillery as it was the safest place present, the arch of the shells making it difficult for the gunners to land a hit. Difficult but not impossible. A shell slammed into the breast work above a group of 5 huddled together for protection. The already badly damaged wall could take no more and the top portion collapsed, a tsunami of concrete and steel landing on the small group. A bloody hoof was the only thing still visible of them when the dust settled.

Some weren't pressing themselves nearly as closely to their stoic concrete saviour. The ram next to Nick, back as straight as a board, fumbled with the pray beads in his hoofs while starring across the scene in front of him. Explosions throwing dirt and dust into the air that were quickly followed by limbs as one of the piles of corpses was hit. The dead shattered into a thousand pieces being thrown in all directions in a macabre piece of modern art.

A particularity loud whistle had Nick burrowing even further into the sun scorched dirt. It was followed quickly by an uncomfortably close explosion that split the ground and threw dirt into his face. The familiar presence of death had him panting whilst he waited for the next close call. But It was the final act in the barrage as the shell fire finally stopped. Dust and smoke floated across the field while all mammals heaved a collective sigh of relief. "Head count!" John called out only to be answered by Nick in a half breathless, half amused voice "There's one!" Pointing at a severed head.

John just gave a unimpressed look. "Don't you start" The fox smirked in response.

"Only 5 dead sergeant" A female rhino called out. Amazingly no one other than the 5 buried mammals where dead though some had been hit with shrapnel…and some were most certainly going to be deaf.

"Jeez I thought your aim sucked Hornby" The joke was directed at the rhino who calmly threw back "Yeh well the doctor called with your colonoscopy results hun and its good news - they found your head." A roar of laughter went down the line. However as it died down a loud chant came from over the wall. The Nighthowlers couldn't understand it though the look miss Winters was giving Nick didn't exactly inspire confidence. Regardless it did tell them that god knows how many enemies where outside and in the mood for some mammal wine.

"Positions!" The sergeant called out which sent the soldiers into a flurry of activity. Ammo boxes were grabbed, guns sighted and bayonets fixed. All eyes scanned the smoke covered ruins outside the bowl as the chanting grew louder and louder. Trigger fingers twitched, shoulders flexed and tails swayed as they waited.

Corporal Clark came running up to John. "Sergeant. HQ reports the enemy have abandoned positions on the coast road" The road was as straight as an arrow and lead them straight through friendly lines and out of the city. "Then lets get out of here!" a moose shouted as he began to move.

But just as quickly John barked back "No!" All looked at him with surprise and no small amount of dismay. "No, Thats what they want us to do. Their too close…" he trailed off. He knew fighting would most likely end in a massacre as he barely had enough mammals to cover the perimeter and the chanting was slowly encompassing them. But running would defiantly result in slaughter. "Balto take Rodriguez and get everyone ably to fire a gun armed and in position"

"Yes sergeant"

"But John we cant stay! They'll overrun us!" the same moose who'd suggested running exclaimed.

The wolf just lit a cigarette before calmly stating "Maybe. But they'll defiantly over run us if we flee private."

"This is insane!" he was beginning to sound desperate.

As calm as ever John snarked back "We're called Nighthowlers for a reason" The soldier didn't seemed any more confident, others seemed confused by what he'd said, so John dropped the smile "You wanna run? There's your way out" pointing to the exit on the far side of the bowl "same offer goes for all of you, but I'm staying".

The moose along with several others looked towards the escape route, uncertainty playing across their faces. The urge to run was extreme. Safety was just a few short minutes away. They looked back at their fellow soldiers who'd already made their minds up, guns and blades ready, eager for battle. "Fuck it" The moose grunted resuming his position, slowly followed by the others. None saw it but a proud smile seeped its way onto Johns face.

Jackie was looking back and forth as well, her sensitive hearing though damaged from earlier was still able to easily hear the baying mob outside. She had no reason to stay, being air force and a higher rank John had no authority over her. She was small as well meaning she might be able to sneak her way out unnoticed. It was a long shot and she knew it as her nose twitched as if she were under the influence. But what would she say when she got home. ' _Hi all I'm Jackie, the first rabbit helicopter pilot and ran while others were slaughtered'_ She'd prove all her doubters right and Judy…God knows what she would think. That made her mind up for her.

A rabbit sized monocular was thrust into her face as she took position atop the wall. A gold vixen held it for her along with a battered and burned helmet. "You'll need these" Her Parisian accent unmistakable.

Winters lay there terror in her soul for she knew what the mob was chanting. "blood, Blood, BLOOD, BLOOD!" It meant that they would give no quarter to anyone they found. Not the invaders around her, not the medic she'd come to…like. The wolf who'd saved her. Not to her. She would be butchered by her own country mammals and friends. And all she could do was sit and wait for it.

Sasha inserted a fresh rocket into her RPG and then cocked her rifle all the while wondering how she always got into these situations. Leroy was with her assault rifle in paw as his snout swayed from side to side in agitation while they watched one of the entrances. The fuel tanks from his beloved flame thrower had been turned into a make shift incendiary trap. Coupled with the pack howitzers still loaded and trained on the passage, and the belt fed machine gun with them, they'd turn that small concrete box into hell on earth.

When Balto and Rodriguez finished mustering the wounded, some of whom were carried to their positions, they had moved back to their own positions and Balto began furiously sending SOS messages to HQ. Riley, his head bandaged like an ancient mammy, massaged his temple as another migraine threatened. The chanting continued louder and louder now coming from every side. Nick joined John on the battlements with his bags over flowing with dressings and morphine. Checking his pistol he slid a magazine into the well. The slide shot forward as the release was pressed loading the weapon. "Ready?" Blackwell queried in a quiet voice. "Nope" the fox responded with a forced chirpyness to which the wolf simply whispered "Me neither".

Across the battlefield:

"BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD"

The general had joined his mammals on the front line as he knew this was a one way trip for most and he intended to make this journey with them.

"BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD"

Looking around he saw many making final prayers, other looking at picture of loved ones tears falling from their eyes. Many kissed the pictures as if trying to send their love and affection to the people in the picture one final time.

"BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD"

He had hoped the enemy would take the escape route offered to them to spare his soldier until they hit the enemies front line. But they showed no signs of moving in fact he could see them taking up positions and loading their weapons. He could also see the emotions etched on their faces and it made him respect these mammals, standing their ground even in the face of certain death. The same gopher from yesterday approached with his head low through the chanting mod. "Sir! Everyone's in position and ready! Any thing else?"

"BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD"

The general took a deep breath and channelled all his inner emotions to his voice. "REMEMBER WHAT THESE DEMONS HAVE DONE TO YOUR NATION , YOUR HOMES AND YOUR FAMILIES. TODAY WE AVENGE THEM. TODAY TEARS WILL FLOW IN THEIR HOME". He raised his revolver high as he stood, pointing it accusingly at their target. "KILL THEM ALLLLLLLLL!"

The entire line charged screaming at the top of their lungs "BLOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDD!"


	24. Chapter 23: For whom the bell tolls

Chapter 23: For whom the bell tolls

and when he gets to heaven,  
to saint peter he will tell:  
"Just another soldier reporting, sir  
I've served my time in hell."

\- Hal Popplewell; USMC 1971 - 1979

The chant transformed into a scream that would make any sane persons blood freeze. The sound of mammals, thousands of mammals, charging at you hell bent on murder sent a chill up Nick's spine despite the midday temperature. Initially they were hidden by the smoke, sand and ruins of their city. The ground shook as masses of feet struck it, the battle cry somehow getting louder and louder.

"Steady mammals!" The captain called "Remember we're all dead already!"

John removed one of the last cigarette from his carton. Taking in a deep breath as he lit it. "Snipers clear to engage, the rest of you wait for my order!" Muscles twitched and tails swayed in a nervous state of readiness.

Then they saw it. The glinting of bayonets in the morning sun followed by the mammals holding them bursting forth from the mist and smoke like demons from your nightmares. Their faces deformed in righteous fury, hunger and fear. The Somali's battle flags flew high above them. A brilliant collection of golds, reds and blues, of purples and greens waving in the breeze providing a rallying point for those behind.

And a target for those in front. "Officer to the left of the black banner" Jackie pointed out for Jazz. The golden vixen quickly focused on the mammal, a boar in the front rank waving a ceremonial sabre above his head encouraging those near to press forward. With her rifle expertly zeroed and aimed Jazz squeezed the trigger. Her lone shot rang out as it flew straight and true slamming into the boars chest. The mammals legs continued to carry him forward a few paces before he fell, his forward momentum rolling him over as he collapsed.

In the mean time the bullet hadn't been idle. Passing through the boars unprotected chest it struck two more mammals, a female raccoon and a giraffe shattering the latters leg. As the tall mammal fell it caused those behind to either stop or move to the sides to get around disrupting the entire group in the process. "Good shot" Jackie mumbled admiringly. Jazz ignored the compliment as she worked the bolt like lightning and zeroed in on a fresh victim.

Nick watched as the mass of mammals got closer and closer. Despite the fact they were running and the short distance they had to cover it seemed to take them an age to close the distance and being forced to watch what was most likely his own demise barrel towards him was…surreal. The yell of the attackers was by now approaching deafening levels and Nick had to fight the urge to flee with all his being, all the while panting like a bitch in heat. Finally the wolf next to him, his machine gun shouldered decided that was close enough.

John raised his paw and gave the order "FIRE!". Every gun erupted, spitting white hot lead and orange flame. The enemies front rank collapsed under the onslaught only to have more take their places. The wave just ran straight over the top of those dead and dying seemingly oblivious to the danger and their plight. Even if those at the front had wanted to stop they were simply being pushed forward by those behind forming an unstoppable throng of fur and steel.

"Somali's sir! fousands of 'em!" ' _Of course someone couldn't resist pulling out movie quotes'_ Nick thought in mild amusement.

John took a moment to look over at the soldier in question before a smile appeared on his lips "Well shoot them Private!"

"I am sir! Doesn't seem to be makin' much difference!" Nick had to admit the scene did remind him of Zooloo. 

While the majority of the mass kept charging toward the stadium, machine guns and rocket teams appeared on their flanks. RPG's began pummelling the defenders positions, throwing sand bags into the faces of those behind them while the sounds of gun fire and shouting were joined by the crack and whiz of bullets. The rush of a rocket motor had Nick ducking for cover and it was only when he smelt the unmistakable scent of singed fur that he realised how close it had been.

Another slammed into one of the heavy machine gun nests throwing a grey horse backwards off the battlements and down the broken steps. Quickly followed by her 50 calibre machine gun. The 58kg lump of metal landing on the mammals chest, crushing it to splinters, as she gave a gargled gasp. Nick dashed down to the fallen soldier and checked for life though he knew it was pointless. The mares chest was practically flat and her lungs were being squeezed from her chest. The machine gunners assistant, another grey horse, had also come down. He'd promptly vomited upon witnessing the scene though he looked to Nick as if begging him to do something. The fox just gave a slow shake of his head.

"GET THAT GUN BACK UP HERE!" John's order got the pair moving, the horse hauling the gun onto his shoulders and Nick grabbing the tripod. Well tried grabbing the tripod. It was made from solid steel tubes with a heavy anchor point in the centre meaning it weighed in at 20 kilos on its own. Add to that the fact it was considerably bigger than the vulpine and it was a real struggle to lug the damn thing back up to the top of the wall. The assistant, seeing the problem met him half way, snatching the apparatus from him and sprinted back to the breastwork to reassemble the weapon.

Nick needed to take a moment. The past months of activity meant he was in the best physical shape of his life but that still didn't mean much when dealing with equipment meant for those a full two size classes bigger than you. Nick was unsure if it was all the guns going off or running back up the steps but the air had become disgustingly close and muggy. It was time's like this he wished he had sweat glands.

A metallic ping had Nick whipping his head around. John had been hit and his helmet flew off. It pinged its way down the steps from as it bounced down the seats behind them. The wolfs head violently jerked back and he rolled down several tiers of seats his breast plate and leg clanking with each impact. The spectacle lasted only a few seconds but its impact on Nick was great. "No" he mouthed to himself.

Elsewhere

The on rushing mammals were proving too numerous and determined for the defenders on the wall to stop. It now fell to Sasha and Leroy. The enemy was rapidly approaching their entrance as they could hear them, who couldn't?, and they could see a small number of them as well. But it was like looking at a football crowd through a toilet roll tube. It utterly failed to convey the true magnitude of what they were seeing. As they got closer the leopardess and tapir covered their ears.

The first breached the passage way…and hit the trip wire. The 75mm howitzer blasted them with canister shot, a can filled with steel balls and other pieces of scrap metal acting as a huge shot gun shell. The densely packed group was ripped to pieces. Some where blow in half while others had limbs ripped from their bodies making them howl in anguish. 20 or so mammals fell into a bloody heap with a smattering of feces from shattered bowels. Leroy set to work reloading the gun with one of the few shells they had as Sasha picked up the detonator for the flame trap.

Another group quickly followed the first, slipping a falling in the gory mess left of those who came before them. Her thumb hovered over the button as the enemy picked their way through. She waited for enough of them to be in the blast radius.

After a few seconds the passage was filled so Sasha depressed the button. The electrical signal sped down the wire in a fraction of a second and detonated the trap. The fuel in the tanks was similar to napalm meaning it would stick to what ever it touched. Concrete, soil, fur and flesh. Once the tanks ruptured it took just a second for the pressurised cylinders to explode coating the entire passage in burning fuel, while also sending knife sized chunks of metal in all directions. The shards ricocheted off the walls, ceiling and floor before slicing through flesh and fur. The cuts allowed the burning fuel access to the internals of mammals caught in the blast adding to the agony they were experiencing.

Even for Leroy, a mammals who was used to using the flame thrower, it was difficult to watch while Sasha had to turn away. The final few sank down and struggled on the ground for a few more seconds before finally stilling. The fire burned higher and hotter as it consumed the bodies laying in it using their fat as it's new fuel source and the blood boiled in the midday air. The fire blocked off this entrance and with the northern passaged collapsed that left just the eastern avenue accessible.

"GET THAT GUN TURNED ROUND!" The ferocious Scottish lion commanded. The enemy also knew they only had one way in and were throwing themselves recklessly at it fighting each other to get to grips with their enemy. The pack howitzer wasn't too difficult to turn around as it was designed for air borne forces. With the gun turned and sighted, loaded and primed Leroy looped a piece of string over the trigger.

But he couldn't fire, friendlies were already crossing blades with those trying to get in. With no clear shots the pair decided it was time for some close encounters. The tapir grabbed his sharpened entrenching tool, a regular shovel just with a shorter handle, while his colleague withdrew a hatchet from her belt. Her hatchet was like a mini fire axe with a large curved blade on one side and an intimidating spike on the other. They then charged into the fray.

Everything became a blur of fur, slashing and blood. Mammals reacting on instinct and only focusing of the enemy in front of them. The agonising howls were blocked out and became tomorrow problem. In this one on one contest, where the winner would get a few more seconds alive, the skill and experience of the Nighthowlers was shining through against the Somali's brutish brawling technique.

Leroy was always reminded of the strength Sasha possessed. Like now the hulking feline was currently in a pushing match with a hippo, the latters rifle being what they were both pushing against, and was holding her own. She was unable to push him back, but he was having the same problem and more importantly Sasha had back up. Leroy broke from his stupor and assaulted the unwieldy mammal from behind. He swung his weapon at the back of the hippos neck. The first blow failed to bleak his tough hide but distracted his foe allowing Sasha the upper paw. With their adversary on the ground they went at him with savage intensity. The leopardess aimed for the eyes and mouth while Leroy targeted the throat all the while the hippo thrashed from side to side, desperately trying to fend them off but to no avail.

After a minute or two the hippo was dead, his face barely recognisable.

Back on the wall

Nick flew to Johns side. He lay faced down and unmoving. Marshalling his strength he rolled the much larger canine over to look for injuries. He found a small gash just above Johns eye with a small amount of blood dribbling from it. Having checked it over Nick ruled out sever head injury as there wasn't even a mark on the skull. The bullet appeared to have come in from the side and glanced off the front of the helmet. He guessed John's head and been thrown back by the impact and by reflex.

Next he checked Johns neck…no break. He might have whiplash but that would be it. A pained groan startled the fox "Ahhhh shittin ell" The sergeant ground out, only have awake. He was groggy and it would take a moment to get his bearings as a paw went to his neck and began rubbing back and forth.

Time however other ideas.

A pained cry came from above them followed by a strange bouncing sound. It was like a metallic pebble skimming along a concrete lake. The same voice that had cried out now bellowed "GRENADE!". Nick saw the innocuous green sphere finally land next to him and John. It didn't fizz or hiss it just sat there. Silently. John still didn't have the sense to move and the bomb couldn't be thrown anywhere else. The fox didn't know hoe long the fuse had left. At that time all Nick saw was a danger to his friend, his comrades and an obstacle to his duty as a medic.

The sly, untrustworthy, hustler fox made a split second decision. He jumped atop the weapon.

The wait was eternal as he shut his eyes and waited, a single tear falling. ' _Tick tock'_ His mind teased.

A sudden ringing filled his ears while a jolt shook his body. He expected to be in mind bending pain. He expected to have to beg to be finished off or to just not feel anything at all. But instead he was somewhere in the middle. Awake and aware but utterly numb. In every sense of the word. His mind didn't function and his body wouldn't move.

It only moved when a horrified, and highly pissed off, wolf rolled him over. "FOR FUCKS SAKE WILDE!" he roared. Though Nick hadn't see it his abdomen had been blown open exposing his intestines that had several grenade splitters in them. His right thigh had also been ripped to shreds and a pool of blood was forming under him. The wolf looked around franticly for something to stem the bleeding only to find nothing. With no other option he ripped a trouser leg off and used it as a make shift tourniquet tying it extremely tightly around the top of the the foxes leg. "Of course your the only medic as well" he muttered.

Nick went for a snarky reply but his throat was like sahara square during a heat wave. As a result all that came out was a wheezing laugh. John may have not been medically trained but get shot, stabbed or burnt as much as him and you start picking up a few tricks. Retrieving a pair of dressings from one of Nicks bags he pressed it to where most of the blood was coming from. With that done he grabbing two clamps from on of the other bags and screwed them on over the top of the dressings.

While all this was going on Nick was just staring at the sky. The world was slowing. His body beginning to shut down. His heart beat slowed and his vision began to narrow while John grew an additional head. His hearing echoed and became distant as if he were hearing everything from down a tunnel. Looking around he saw paw to paw fighting around the final entrance. Sasha hacking an antelope to pieces while Leroy slit the skull of a gopher with one mighty blow.

He heard the distant sounds of battle and of voices from his past. He then saw a pair of crystal blue eye's and dirty white fur. The eye's were frozen in dread and shock. He wasn't imagining them, they belonged to miss Winters and she looked desperate to move. But it looked like she wanted to help rather than bolt and more incredibly she looked like she wanted to help him.

Maybe she did maybe she didn't either way Nicks eyes were slowly closing as an overwhelming urge to sleep over took him ' _Just. Rest my eyes. For a minute…'_

"Wake up Wilde!" A violent shaking roused him and his eyes lazily opened. John's eyes were a flame, determination burning bright and hot in them…But it wasn't enough and Nicks eyes began to close again.

"Keep looking at me mate!" The wolf desperation was beginning to show through. Another shake and the foxes emerald orbs appeared again, but not for long.

"Wilde!" this time Nick didn't respond to the shaking. The world grew darker and darker. "Nick!" Those fiery eyes were the last think he saw as the void claimed him.

"NICK!"


	25. Chapter 24: Another to be fought

Chapter 24: One battle won, another to be fought.

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid."

-Colonel David Hackworth

Conciousness slowly returned to the injured fox though his eyes remained shut. Despite waking up he felt unbelievably tired. It was like he hadn't actually been sleeping for however long he'd been out as his arms were lumps of lead and, despite the fact his eyes were close, his head was spinning. His body felt like a polar bear and mauled him, ripping his organs and crushing what was left. Trying to move only resulted in an explosion of pain from his abdomen and leg. Gasping he collapsed back onto the surprisingly springy ground while panting until the discomfort abated. Why did he feel so shit?

Cracking his eyes open he wasn't met by an exquisite blue and cloudless sky but instead by a bland, white ceiling. ' _How'd that get there?'_ There was a slight swaying motion as slowly but surely his other senses came back to him. Looking to his left he saw farmland. Vast uninterrupted fields sped past him in a kaleidoscope of colours, elegantly rolling over hills and towards the mountains in the distance with grey and tan rabbits working in said fields. For a second he thought he was flying a sign that he was actually dead this time. However it was when he extended a paw, trying to feel the wind in his fur, that it was stopped by some kind of forcefield.

A window. It took an embarrassingly long time for him to realize it was a god damn window. Nick's exhausted brain was finally able to put the pieces together and the events in Somalia finally came back to him. The vulpine was on a train with the alien smells of cleanliness and antiseptic in the air. The drop in temperature almost made him shiver though that could just be due to blood loss. His vision was floaty and slurred the tell tail paw print of the morphine flowing through his system.

He'd thrown himself on a grenade. Although it was one of the dumbest things he'd ever done, up there along with selling a skunk butt rug to a mob boss, it had been to protect a friend. A friend who wasn't here. The battered fox looked to his right, looking for the gravelly sergeant, alluring vixen and the big fuck off snow leopardess. But they weren't there. Instead the carriage was packed with mammals laying on stretchers in stacks of three with the smaller mammals on the top rungs. Most were out cold although a few were awake and paw full were groaning from their injuries. A butchers shop would have had a smaller selection of cuts and mangled limbs than this place.

A charcoal black ram was opposite Nick laying unconscious with both his legs missing at the knees. An intravenous drip was feeding into his arm and most of his wool had been shaved off making the use of a thick blanket necessary. Others had dressing in various places covering gun shot, stab and shrapnel wounds. The cheetah below the ram had his head almost entirely bandaged with only one eye exposed, he was reading a novel of some description that was sellotaped to the stretcher above.

Maybe he'd been a medic too long because with all the injured laying around him, some in obvious pain and discomfort, he felt the need to get up and tend to their wounds. ' _You really gonna try and get up again?'_ good point he conceded to himself. Unable to move much Nick settled again staring up at the featureless ceiling whilst fighting to stay awake thought the overwhelming urge to sleep soon took him.

Two weeks later

Zootopia Military Hospital. The point at which the war was brought home to those in the city. The images on the T.V always tried to insulate the public from the reality of what their sons and daughters were doing and going through in their name. However here the visitors coming to see those sons and daughters could see some of the costs of this war. The injured who came home were always the once in the worse shape as it made more sense, from a cost and logistical standpoint, to treat the majority of wounded where they were serving. So the most of those here wouldn't be going back to the front.

Nick lay there currently watching the news as it covered the final capture of Mogadishu. Unsurprisingly there was no mention of the Nighthowlers. Images of the allied flag being raised over the ruined city along with what remained of the defenders under armed guard, dishevelled and dejected. "….Lieutenant Mahad officially surrendered the city at 4 o'clock this morning local time…." Nick was so accustomed to the city he was now watching that he swore he could smell the thick acrid smoke through the screen. The report went on detailing the events of the battle and, in a move that surprised the vulpine, the reporter showed the black shiny body bags filled with allied soldiers bodies as she detailed the cost of victory.

Though she did end on a high note as the last piece of film had soldiers whooping and cheering beneath the newly raised flag. "…this has been Fabienne Growley Zootopia news." The pain killers in Nicks system where still effecting his vision and metal capacity. If they hadn't been there he would have spent longer wondering how the news had been allowed to show such distressing material, as it was though he just settled back into the warm embrace of the hospital bed.

A sudden burst of pain from his stitched up stomach had him pressing the button under his left paw, releasing more morphine into his system. ' _God I love this button'_ A side from the spasms in his core muscles and leg physically he wasn't all that bad…taking everything into consideration.

The surgery on his stomach had commenced as soon as he'd arrived which was odd. Penal soldiers consistently were considered a secondary priority to others and another peculiar incident was that Nick had a private room. All the other wounded were placed into large wards the only exceptions being made for high ranking officers or influential individuals. To be honest though Nick would have preferred to be in one of those wards. This was the first time in 10 months he'd been left on his own as in the battalion you did everything together. Eat, sleep, and fight. Even when you went to a quiet corner for some 'me time' you were still easily within ear shot.

The comparative silence was playing havoc with him. At the front you wanted to hear the guns going, jets flying and the whistle of shells in the distance because it meant you knew you weren't under attack. Silence only meant you were the next target for a surprise attack, barrage or air strike. Now though he felt completely isolated and defenceless. More than a few times he had woken with a start at some nightmare though he hadn't screamed…much. It was another hold over from an environment where you wanted to hear but not be heard.

He also had no news on his squad mates. No messages and no visits and he had begun to suspect the worst but then how was he here. Maybe he was dead and this some bizarre cosmic joke. Nick was so confused and the lack of any real conversation wasn't helping to quiet his active mind.

"Nicky?" A familiar warm yet chilled voice came from the door. The injured vulpine cranked his head towards the noise. His mother stood silhouette in the door way like some sort of angel coming to redeem him. "Nick?" she softly asked again like she couldn't believe what was in front of her. She wasn't the only one. He closed his eyes and waited for a few seconds. He slowly cracked them open again. She was still there. "It's me Nicky I'm really here" Her voice was soft and without any anger present as she approached.

"Mom?" he croaked. The mature vixen nodded while she gently stroked his cheek. The tears formed and fell before he could stop them. If she was here, then she knew why he was here…and how he'd ended up in a penal battalion. A distressed whine left him, and his ears pinned back against his scalp before he could stop them. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" He sobbed over and over again. This carried on for several minutes while she tenderly held him there until the burst dam finally ran out. It reminded her of the night after the ranger scouts incident.

Nick stayed where he was with his fuzzy head, in every sense of the word, gently tucked into his mothers chest. When she next spoke she chose her words carefully "I'm not angry Nicky. I'm just glad your home"

' _Not angry?'_ Nick's mind queried. ' _How can you NOT be angry?'_

Unaware of what was going on in Nicks head his mother continued to slowly pet the fur between his ears "What were you thinking joining up and not telling me?" she began choking up. Nicks brain may have been slower than dial up but it was still fast enough to put 2 and 2 together. ' _She doesn't know. She doesn't know! How!?'_ It was then he noticed the small brown package she'd brought with her. "I had to wait for the army to tell me! What if you never came back? " It was she that now began to quietly cry, as a very quiet whine of her own left her, and Nick raised an arm to encircle the vixen in a weak, awkward embrace.

"I-I'm…" He began but was cut off. He was still thanking his lucky stars she didn't know all the details.

"Shhhhhh, All that matters is your safe" After placing a brief kiss atop his head she turned her attention to the box. "This arrived with the message that you were here." the package appeared to be 2 small rectangular boxes wrapped together in brown packing paper. "It was addressed too you so I left it as it was when it arrived." Slowly ripping the paper revealed the two flat, black boxes within. There was nothing on the outside that gave a clue to what they contained though they resembled jewellery boxes.

Carefully opening the first one revealed a perfectly polished Purple heart. The gold bordered heart shaped medal may have been common around here, being that it was awarded to all those killed or wounded in service to their country, but too Nick it carried hidden weight. With the knowledge of how he'd been wounded to begin with, it would forever remind him that the most important thing in life was those around him.

He wasn't too surprised by the first box. The second though nearly gave him a heart attack. Removing the lid exposed the, simply designed but none the less impressive, bronze star held within. Nick stared for a moment. Did he really deserve this? He slowly ran his fingers over the cool metal as if it were made of glass. Beneath the medal was a small plaque and inscribed upon it **'Awarded to Nicholas. for exceptional and heroic actions under hostile fire. Battle of Mogadishu 2012.'**

His mother may have been as surprised as him but pride was also there in equal measure. "Nick, what happened?" His mother sounded almost excited, Though Nick's throat and lips suddenly went very dry as he tore his gaze away from the medals.

Meanwhile: somewhere along the Yalu river, North Korea

"Jackal 7, this is Blueberry 3, approaching junction city, requesting landing permission, over" The comforting clap of multiple helicopter rotor blades almost drowned out the sound of the static over the radio, as the pilot waited for a response.

A frantic voice came back "Blueberry 3, Thats a negative! Wave off! We got Chinese all over the fucking place!" As if on cue flack rose up to meet the formation. The aircraft shuddered and jumped violently as they were bracketed by black poofs of smoke and flashes of orange flame. The control stick threatened to be ripped from the Rabbits paws. Metal sliced through metal as it punctured the air frame.

"BLUEBERRY 1's HIT!"He copilot called out. "GO EVASIVE!" A flack shell had hit the vehicle in front square in the passenger compartment blowing the helicopter into pieces. It now tumbled to the earthwards.

"Calm down Cervidae. Juliet 2, this is Blueberry 3, Blueberry leads down, leading for emergency drop, over" She was calm and focused on the job at paw.

"Roger that blueberry 3. good luck, out"

"All flights on me! Blueberry and leopard flights lead in, followed by Red and Gaul, then green and Shogun. Emergency drop. How copy, over?" Her voice was filled with authority but a hint of fear was still there as she waited. One by one the other flights called in that they understood and were ready. The rabbit then turned to her passengers. "This is going to be close mammals, get ready because we wont be landing or stopping so you'll have to jump!"

A familiar wolf looked into her eyes and with a confident smile laughed "Nice to see we're making this interesting Hopps"

She smirked in reply "You wouldn't have it any other way John" then turned forward again.

"True enough." He bullishly replied while fixing his bayonet "You girls ready?" Sasha gave the thumbs up

"OUI!" Jazz shouted as miss Winters tightened the straps on her medical webbing, Wincing due to her shoulder.

"Easy Sky, down want you hurting yourself" she bellowed back "I can do this!"

John nodded with his grin still firmly in place."Lads?" he turned to Balto who gave him a good, honest smile while Leroy spat out the side of the helicopter "I am now"

Speaking around a cigarette John compelled Jackie on "Take us in Jackie!" The rabbit stayed facing forward as a self assured smirk split her muzzle and the helicopters then one by one dived into the battle, nose to tail, into a hail of bullets, rockets and shells.


	26. Epilogue

Epilogue: End of one Story, Beginning of another

Freedom is never free.

-Author Unknown

The war would continue for another 2 years before peace was signed on the 4th of august 2014 in a tent, amidst driving snow, on the frozen banks of the Yalu river. The meeting was tense and at time both side threatened too walk away. But both stayed in the end because they both new it could not continue. Neither side could claim out right victory as both side were still left standing. But the cost of continuing was simply too high for the reward either combatants would get. Millions were dead, multiple countries lay in ruins and very little seemed to have changed.

The agreement signed stated that:

North and south Korea were to be united under a pro-US government.

Taiwan lost its defence agreement with the US, on paper leaving it wide open to China.

The west recognised the Chinese claims in Tibet.

And Both sides vowed to respect the others interests in Africa.

The biggest changes however took longer to materialise as the strain of the war began to form cracks in the Chinese government and stirrings from her people started. Only time will tell if this is just a blip on the radar or the start of something bigger. Although America remained the pre-eminent super power it was weakened, tied down in countries such as Somalia, and European countries began to feel the affects of a resurgence of national prestige and power. The rising power of European countries sparks new fears of renewed fighting on the small continent. Russia emerged battered and bruised but with much friendlier relations with her western neighbours and with a stronger government more in line with her new allies.

There wasn't total peace as the fighting in south and central America continued uninterrupted along with areas in Africa, as well as rural Asia.

The Penal corps, along with most of the armed forces, was down sized as their purpose had been fulfilled. Many received their amnesties but nothing more being thrown out onto the streets with very little and as a result most returned to a life of crime willingly or not. Those that didn't began to fill the local morgues. Others were thrown straight back into jail and a few found themselves on death row again. The battalions and their exploits became one of the governments dirty little secrets. Only 4 battalions survived, the 64th,93rd,117th and of course the 16th assault engineers. The Nighthowlers.

Nick never returned to the 16th. Officially this was due to his injuries being too severe, and while that may have been partly true a certain cape buffalo and wolf knew differently. After recovery he tried going straight but like many ex-soldiers it was easy especially due to his species. He was treated with respect in the 16th but back home nothing had really changed. He was still just a sly and untrustworthy fox to most and eventually he slipped back into old habits…until a certain grey doe came barrelling into his life but you already know that story.

He didn't hear or see John, Sasha, Jazz or miss Winters again. Even when he looked he found nothing. They were never mentioned in official reports or the news and eventually he excepted they were gone…and no one cared except him. They were just the nameless faces of those who were now gone.

Thing is though the dead don't always like to stay that way…

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:  
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.  
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,  
We will remember them.

\- "For the fallen", Laurence Binyon

* * *

And there you have it but the eagle eyed among you will have noticed that this is part of a series. As such I will be back to continue the Nighthowlers odyssey.  
I will also start a collection of one shots and short stories taking place both before and after the events of the main story, titled "the war diary"  
Thank you all for your support and comments :D


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